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THE  LIBRARY 
OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


g^n 

^^s 

THE 


USE    OF    THE    VOICE 


m 


fiUmm  AiXD  SPEAKIKG: 


A  MANUAL 

FOR 

CLERGYMEN  AND   CANDIDATES   FOR   HOLY   ORDERS. 


BT 


The  Rev.  FRAXCIS   T.  RUSSELL,  M.  A., 

LEOTUEEB  IN   ELOCrTTO\   AT   TTTE   GENERAL   TITEOLOGICAL   SEMINAKT,  NEW   YOUK,  AND   AT 
TILB   BERKELEY   DFN'INITY    SCHOOL,   COKNECTICUT,  ETC. 


NEW   YORK: 
D.    APPLETOX    AND     COMPANY, 

1,  3,  AND  5  BOND   STREET. 
1883. 


COPTItlGHT  BY 

D.  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY, 

1883. 


PN 


PREFACE. 


The  following  treatise  records  the  results  of  some 
thirty  years  of  study  and  observation  in  the  expressive 
uses  of  the  voice.  During  that  time  the  author  has  had 
experience,  both  as  a  clergyman  and  as  an  instructor  in 
elocution.  It  has  been  prepared  in  the  sincere  hope  that 
it  may  be  of  use  to  the  Clergy  and  Candidates  for  Orders 
in  the  discharge  of  Divine  Service. 

Part  I.  contains  exercises  in  vocal  drill,  with  the 
statement  of  some  of  the  principles  of  elocution,  which 
will  be  found  serviceable  to  every  clergyman,  if  reduced 
to  practice.  The  author  is  emboldened  to  make  this  as- 
sertion from  the  testimonials  of  many  pupils,  who  have 
been  brought  out  of  imperfections  in  speech,  and  have 
attained  to  eminence  as  public  speakers  by  drill  of  this 
character. 

Part  II.  treats  of  the  reading  of  the  Service  through- 
out—  specifically,  to  a  large  extent,  with  such  general 
directions  as  will  cover  the  reading  of  the  remainder. 
It  might  seem  presumptuous,  when  there  is  so  wide  di- 
vergence of  practice  in  the  manner  of  celebrating  Divine 
Service,  for  any  single  clergyman  to  attempt  to  suggest 


131 28G4 


2  PREFACE. 

how  the  Liturgy  of  the  Church  should  be  read.  Yet, 
while  recognizing  the  yalue  of  all  the  musical  methods, 
in  their  proper  place  and  time,  whether  by  monotoniiig , 
intoning,  or  making  it  purely  choral,  there  is  still  much 
use  for  the  ordinary  speaking  voice.  The  necessities  of 
the  case,  indeed,  for  want  of  musical  skill  and  appro- 
priate accompaniment,  generally  compel  the  Clergy  to 
depend  upon  this  method.  It  becomes,  then,  simply  a 
question  whether  it  shall  be  well  or  ill  used  in  public 
worship.  The  effort  has  been  made,  in  this  part  of  the 
work,  to  secure  the  expressive  and  appropriate  reading 
of  the  yarious  divisions  of  the  Divine  Service. 

Part  III.  treats  of  the  subject  of  manner.  The  essen- 
tial elements  which  constitute  an  effective  delivery  are 
here  discussed,  in  the  hope  of  securing  a  correct  standard 
of  pulpit  elocution,  adapted  to  the  nature  of  the  sacred 
office  and  the  character  of  its  theme — free  from  all  man- 
nerism, affectation,  and  artificiality. 

The  author  has  undertaken  this  work  at  the  solicita- 
tion, and  with  the  encouragement,  of  many  friends  and 
pupils,  and  has  been  greatly  indebted  to  Mr.  Melville  K. 
Bailey  in  preparing  it  for  the  press. 

If  the  treatise  shall  aid,  in  any  way,  in  making  the 
Service  more  effective,  and  if  it  shall  increase  the  use- 
fulness of  any  of  his  brethren,  the  author  will  gratefully 
esteem  it  privileged  labor  that  he  has  done. 

F.  T.  E. 

August  1,  ISSS. 


oo:ntexts. 


PART  I. 
ELOCUTION. 


PAGE 

Inteoductiox      .......        9 

CHAPTER  I. 

Primary  Coxditioxs  of  Vocal  Power  .  .  .11 

Physical  health— Fresh  air— Proper  protection — Warmth — Eest 
— Mental  quiet — Further  considerations — Diet — Cold  water — Con- 
diments— Exercise — Walking — Caution  against  over-exertion. 

CHAPTER   II. 
BEEATinxG  Exercises    .  .  .  .  .  .18 

Preliminary  remarks — Tidal  breath — First  series,  -with  refer- 
ence to  complete  airing  of  the  lungs — Second  series,  with  refer- 
ence to  the  vocal  chords— Third  series,  with  refSrence  to  the  uvula 
— Fourth  series,  muscular  exercises  combined  with  breathing — 
Cautions. 

CHAPTER  III. 
Aeticulation'     .  .  •  #         •  •  •  .25 

How  differing  from  apparently  synonymous  terms — Will  power 
— Drill  exercises— Kate  of  vibrations — Eflfects  of  professional  life 
— Defects  in  speech — Further  drill  exercises — Result  of  neglect 
— Faults  found  in  reading  the  exhortation — Further  defects — In 
the  sentences— In  Scripture — Initial  "h" — Difficult  combina- 
tions— Example — Table  of  elements. 

CHAPTER   IV. 

Delivery  of  the  Voice — Mode  of  Utterance         .  .      86 

Poising,  or  projecting  the  voice — Ex^pulsive  utterance — p]xample 
— Effusive  utterance — Example — Explosive  utterance — E.xamplc  . 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  V. 

PAGE 

The  Voice — Quality    .  .  .  .  .  .39 

It  is  a  reed  instrument — Purity — Examples — Smoothness — Ex- 
amples— Koundness — Examples — Fullness — Examples — Further 
diill  exercises — Tiic  sympathetic  voice. 

CHAPTER   VI. 

EoECE      ........      57 

Degree  requisite — Caution  against  boisterousness — Transition, 
to  be  secured  by  practice — Exercises — Subdued  degrees — Exam- 
ples— Moderate  degrees — Examples — Stronger  degrees — Exam- 
ples— The  calling  voice. 

CHAPTER  VH. 

PiTcn      ........       68 

Compass  of  the  voice,  two  octaves — FlexibiUty — Exercises — 
Middle  pitch — Examples — Low  pitch — Examples — Higher  pitch 
— Examples. 

CHAPTER   Vin. 

Stress     ........       77 

Definition — Divisions  of  the  syllable — Eadical  stress — Median 
stress — Vanishmg  stress — Compoimd  stress — Thorough  stress — 
Examples. 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Inflectiobt,  oe  Slide     .  .  .  .  .  .85 

Source  of  impulse — Slides  of  emotion — Octave — Fifth — Third — 
Second — -The  monotone  —  The  semitone — The  circumflex,  or 
wave — Examples — Antithetic  passages — Examples. 

« 

CHAPTER   X. 
Movement  .  .  .  .  .  .  .101 

DeteiTuincd  by  subject — Inconsistency — Sameness — Moderate 
movement — Difficulty  of  descriiition — Examples — Slow  move- 
ment— Examples — Lively  Movement — Examples. 

CHAPTER   XI. 

Pauses     ,,,.....     113 

Decided  by  impressiveness — Eesults  of  inattention  to  this  ele- 
ment— Pause  preceding  emphatic  word — Following  it — Both — 
Few  mechanical  rules — Pause  at  "saying,"  etc. — Example. 


CONTENTS.  ■  5 

CEAPTER  XII. 

PACE 

Emphasis  .  .  •  •  •  •  .117 

ISIore  than  a  change  of  force— Dependent  on  activity  of  thought 
and  will— Examples  of  distinctive  emphasis— Continued  empha- 
sis— Examples — Errors  in  emphasis — Example  of  various  inter- 
pretations hy  means  of  emphasis — Of  doctrines — The  Decalogue — 
Examples — Further  suggestions  in  emphasis,  illustrated. 

CHAPTER   XIII. 

Melody  ....••••     128 

Musical  effect  dependent  on  "  tune  "—Various,  at  different  pe- 
riods of  life — Examples. 


PART  II. 
BEADING    OF  THE  SERVICE. 

IXTEODUCTION — EXPEESSIO^T  .  .  .  .  .133 

Its  importance  in  Divine  Service — Proper  mental  attitude — Ex- 
pression founded  on  feeling— Standard  of  expression— Not  that  of 
the  stage,  bar,  or  rostrum— Fuithcr  reflections. 

CHAPTER  I. 

Analysis  of  the  Characteristics  contained  in  the  Book 

OF  Common  Peayer  as  a  Guide  to  Expression  .  .     136 

1.  Sublimity  and  majesty — 2.  Simplicity — 3.  Eeverential  fer- 
vor— These  must  all  be  present  in  just  proportion — Defect  of 
neglecting  a  single  principle — Fault  of  undue  prominence  of  a 
single  characteristic — Further  defects  :  rapidity,  undue  slowness, 
basiness-Uke  air,  mincing  tone,  perfunctory  style. 

CHAPTER   II. 

The  Opening  Sentences,  etc.,  of  Morning  and  Evening 

Prayer  .      /       .  .  .  .  .  .     138 

Three  leading  characteristics  still  preserved — Fourth  to  last  sen- 
tence— Their  penitential  character — The  first,  second,  and  tliird 
sentences,  how  differing  from  the  otliers — The  Exltortalion — Its 
great  simplicity — Different  shades  of  feeling  in  different  serv- 
ices— Personality — Must  be  made  an  exliortation — Division  1, 
Opening  phrase— 2.  Stutemeut — 3.  Enumeration  of  parts  of  Di- 


6  CONTEN-fS. 

PAGE 

vine  -worsliip — i.  The  bidding — Comparison  with  other  exhorta- 
tions— The  Confession — Strong  emphasis — Low  key — Even  move- 
ment— No  marlied  individualities — The  Absolution — It  is  a  decla- 
ration— First  sentence  authoritative — Sympathy  of  second  sen- 
tence— Deepened  expression  of  last  sentence. 

CHAPTER   III. 

The  Anthems,  Creed,  etc.       .....     148 

Should  be  sung  if  possible — Full  expression  when  read — The  Te 
Deum — Divisions :  1,  Praise  ;  2,  Confession  of  Faith ;  3,  Interces- 
sion— Value  of  reading  Benedicite  Om7iia  Opera  Domini — The 
Creed — Peaceful  significance  at  the  present  time — Solemnity, 
earnestness,  reverence — Each  clause  characteristically  marked — 
Faults — The  Versicles  require  fervent  emphasis — Discussion  of 
each. 

CHAPTER   IV. 

The  Peatees      .......     155 

Subdued  expression — Fitting  preparation — Anal3-sis  of  their 
structure  as  an  aid  to  expression — 1 .  Invocation :  Purpose — Varied 
character — Simple,  deep,  and  combined  qualities — Especially  to 
be  reverent — Doctrine  or  narrative — Examples  of  invocations — 
2.  The  Petition:  Supplicatory  character — Expression  varied  ac- 
cording to  subject  of  prayer — Illustrated  references — 3.  The  con- 
clusion— The  Mediatorial  Name — It  should  be  pronounced  im- 
pressively and  sweetly — The  ascription,  or  Doxologi/ — Discussion 
of  individual  prayers — The  Zord^s  Prayer — The  Collects — The 
TTianksgii'ings — Value  of  discussion — The  Litany — The  intensity 
of  its  character — The  divisions :  1 .  The  Invocation :  appeal  to  the 
Blessed  Trhiity,  questions  as  to  emphasis — 2.  The  Deprecations : 
emphasis  and  inflection,  true  manner  of  offering  them — 3.  The 
Obsecrations :  futile  criticisms,  deep  solemnity — 4.  The  Interces- 
sions: their  freedom  and  sympathetic  tenderness,  change  in 
punctuation — 5.  The  Supplication — Fervor  is  to  be  maintained — 
Earnestness — C  onclusion. 

CHAPTER   V. 
The  Lessons       .......     1Y7 

Suggestivencss  of  term  —  Proper  manner  —  True  standard  — 
Faults:  inexpressiveness,  lack  of  sympathy,  impropriety,  dra- 
matic effect,  pluintiveness,  undue  refinement,  mannerism,  monot- 
ony— Hooker's  Theory — Classification  for  expression  :  I.  Accord- 
ing to  styles  of  writing  :  1.  Narrative  and  descriptive.  Three 
heads  under  this  division :  a.  Familiar ;  J,  Elevated ;  c,  Middle 
— 2.  Didactic:    c,  Epistolary;    J,  Oral  and  parabolic — 3.  Pro- 


CONTENTS.  7 

PAGE 

phetic :  a,  Bold ;  b,  Subdued— 4.  Lyric — II.  According  to  the  spirit 
of  Fast  or  Festival :  Examples — III.  As  suggested  by  the  emo- 
tion :  a,  Solemnity ;  b,  Pathos ;  c,  Consolation ;  d.  Sublimity ; 
e,  Denunciation — IV.  As  suggested  by  the  thought — V.  Expression 
by  injiection :  a,  Falling,  for  irony  ;  b,  Circumflex,  for  irony ;  c, 
Monotone,  for  awe ;  d.  Falling,  for  denimciation — Further  divis- 
ions. 

The  Decalogue  .  .  .  .  .  .219 


Character  of  Commandments — Change  of  utterance — The  scene 
giving  the   Decalogue — Disc 
Character  of  our  Lord's  words. 


of  giving  the  Decalogue — Discussion  of  the  Commandments 


The  Offertory  ......     223 

Purpose  of  the  sentences — Summary  of  their  character  ;  1.  In- 
junctions ;  2.  Explanatory  declarations ;  3.  Oratorical  interroga- 
tion ;  4.  Comforting  promises  ;  5.  Example  inciting  to  duty — The 
Communion  Office  not  furtlier  treated  of. 

The  Burial  Service      ......     227 

Its  perfection — Pei-vading  solemnity — The  sentences — The  first 
anthem — The  Lesson — Change  of  style — The  second  anthem — The 
Committal — The  third  anthem — The  closing  prayers. 


PART  III. 
MANNER  IN  THE  PULPIT. 

IlfTRODUCTION        .  .  .  .  .  .  .236 

Authority — Earnestness — High  ideal — Physical  qualifications — 
Moral  qualifications— Sympathy — Intellectual  qualiiicatiou. 

CHAPTER   I. 

Essential  Eequisites  for  Effectiveness       .  .  .     239 

1.  Life — Examples — Variety — Examples — Naturalness— Exam- 
ple. 2.  Force — Authority — Dignity — Freedom — Boldness  —  Ex- 
amples. 3.  Warmth — Love — Example  —  Sincerity — Examples — 
Cordiality — Example — Enthusiasm  —  Example  —  Keality — Exam- 
ple—Further considerations.  4.  Grace — Ease — Example — Seren- 
ity— Example — Sympathy — Example — Other  thoughts. 


8  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  11. 

PAGE 

Gestuee  ........     27-i 

Scope  of  expression — Varied  degree  of  power — Position  of  the 
body — Carriage  of  the  head — Expression  of  the  face — The  arm — 
Primary  laws  of  gesture — The  hand — Its  positions — a.  Supine  ; 
b.  Prone  ;  c.  Vertical ;  d.  Clinched — Further  considerations. 

Miscellaneous  Examples         .....  282 

The  Order  for  Daily  Morning  Prater        .  .  .  299 

TnE  Order  for  Daily  Evening  Prayer        .  .  .  313 

The  Litany,  or  General  Sitpplioation         .  .  .  323 

The  Order  for  the  Administration  of  the  Lord's  Supper, 

or  Holy  Communion  .....     330 

The  Ministration  of   Baptism  to  suon  as  are   of  Eipee 
Years,  and  are  able  to  answer  for  Themselyes         .     341 


PART   I. 
ELOCUTION. 


INTEODUCTION. 

He  who  would  enter  the  sacred  ministry  of  Christ  must 
consider  that  he  will  need  the  most  intense  energy  in  every 
faculty.  Those  powers  which  God  has  given  him  must  all 
be  molded  and  strengthened  until  they  reach  the  highest 
perfection  of  which  they  are  callable.  And  the  bodily  fac- 
ulties are  the  medium  through  which  all  inherent  sj^iritual 
power  is  to  be  impressed  on  the  minds  of  the  congregation, 
aud  thence  driven  into  and  implanted  in  their  souls.  We 
take  it  for  granted  that  the  strongest  desire,  the  supreme 
passion  of  every  messenger  of  Truth,  is  to  command  respect 
for  his  message  ;  to  strengthen  the  love  of  those  who  already 
are  serving  God  ;  to  reverse  the  course  of  rebellious  wills ; 
and  to  bring  every  thought  of  every  heart  into  willing  sub- 
jection to  the  great  Master  of  souls. 

The  clergyman,  then,  as  a  good  general,  must  review 
the  whole  field  of  his  operations,  and  so  marshal  his  forces 
and  discipline  his  powers,  that,  when  the  hour  of  battle 
comes,  he  can  bear  through  and  overcome  all  opposing  ene- 
mies. He  must  be  continually  on  the  alert.  His  foes  are 
spiritual,  the  unhealthy  or  malicious  feelings  of  a  perverted 
nature.  The  thoughtlessness  of  the  gay,  the  pride  of  the 
strong,  the  despair  of  the  sorrowful,  will  meet  him,  at  every 
hour,  in  the  market-place,  in  the  sick  chamber,  in  the 
drawing-room,  and  in  the  church.     It  is  his  duty  to  meet 


10  ELOCUTION. 

each  of  these  and  turn  it  gently,  but  firmly  and  invincibly, 
into  the  way  of  right. 

In  this  he  will  find  a  threefold  succession  of  mental  ac- 
tion :  First,  understanding  ;  then,  feeling  ;  and,  lastly,  reso- 
lution. In  each  of  these  he  must  precede  his  flock,  that 
he  may  lead  them  by  experience.  And  a  further  analysis 
will  show  that  in  the  majority  of  cases  the  resolution  to  the 
accomjjlishing  of  which  all  his  efforts  must  tend  is  the  im- 
mediate result  of  the  feelings.  And,  unless  he  be  a  writer 
of  rare  power,  he  will  find  that  the  voice  is  the  chief  instru- 
ment in  arousing  the  feelings  after  which  he  aims.  The 
beneficial  influence  of  true  feeling  can  not  be  too  highly 
estimated,  and  the  feeling  to  which  the  spirit  of  the  Church 
is  so  much  opposed  is  not  the  tender  reverence  and  love  of 
the  true  Son  of  God,  nor  the  intense  and  fiery  energy  of 
the  prophet,  but  the  disordered  frenzy  of  the  dervishes  of 
Christianity,  or  the  weak  effusions  of  a  selfish  sentimental- 
ism.  It  is  an  absurdity  to  speak  of  a  religion  without  feel- 
ing. The  thing  does  not  exist.  Not  a  thought  can  rise  in 
the  mind,  not  a  sentence  can  be  heard,  without  producing 
some  feeling,  either  attractive  or  repellent.  It  is  the  part 
of  the  sacred  speaker,  then,  to  see  that  the  thoughts  of  his 
people  are  religious,  to  compel  them  to  be  religious  by  the 
subtle  and  inevitable  influence  of  the  notes  of  the  human 
voice — an  instrument  stringed  by  its  Creator  to  be  the  me- 
dium of  divine  harmonies.  To  bring  this  instrument  to 
its  proper  perfection,  we  must  go  far  back  to  the  underly- 
ing causes  which  are  to  make  it  effective,  or  mar  its  power. 
The  means  of  this  culture  will  be  fully  discussed  in  the 
succeeding  chapters. 


PRIMARY  CONDITION'S  OF   VOCAL  POWER.     H 
CHAPTER   I. 

PRIMARY    CONDITIO]S"S    OF   VOCAL   POWER. 

The  primary  conditions  of  strength  and  purity  of  voice 
rest  upon  good  physical  health.  The  public  speaker,  there- 
fore, who  undertakes  his  work  conscientiously,  and  with 
the  desire  and  determination  to  use  his  voice  naturally  and 
effectively,  must  give  his  attention  first  of  all  to  the  laws  of 
health.  "We  can  be  useful  no  longer  than  we  can  be  well," 
said  Dr.  Johnson.  The  weakening  influence  of  ill-health 
is  most  disastrous  to  the  work  of  any  one  who  is  to  impress 
his  fellow-creatures  through  the  use  of  the  voice.  Neglect 
of  sanitary  law  is  not  only  stultifying  in  the  extreme  to 
the  highest  ideal  of  vocality — it  is  positively  immoral.  The 
clergyman  who  forms  any  habits,  indulges  in  any  occupa- 
tions that  injure  the  general  health,  or  neglects  needful 
exercise,  by  so  doing  completely  destroys  his  power  as  a 
speaker.  It  is  impossible  for  the  writer  to  be  too  explicit 
and  emphatic  on  this  point.  If  the  clergyman  is  not  dis- 
posed to  make  the  best  use  of  his  physical  gifts,  then  he  is 
not  aiming  at  the  highest  moral  effect  in  the  right  use  of 
his  vocal  powers.  The  faculty  of  speech  has  been  bestowed, 
like  other  gifts  and  faculties,  for  use,  not  for  abuse  or  neg- 
lect. We  are  right,  then,  in  making  tliis  a  fundamental 
particular  in  a  treatise  on  the  proper  discharge  of  Divine 
Service.  The  directions  following  will  assist  in  establish- 
ing this  physical  condition. 

First,  tlic  necessity  of  securing  fresh  air,  by  exercise  out 
of  doors,  and  by  especial  attention  to  ventilation  in  the 
study  and  in  the  church,  must  be  emphasized.  It  seems 
hardly  worth  while  to  state  that  there  is  scarcely  a  church 
to  be  found  whicli,  after  an  hour's  use,  contains  a  fit  mate- 
rial for  the  use  of  the  voice.  The  preacher  enters  the  pul- 
pit half  exhausted,  and  the  hearers  are  half  wearied  from  a 
vitiated  atmosphere,  when  both  should  be  fresh  and  in- 


12  ELOCUTION. 

spirited,  the  one  to  give  and  the  other  to  receive  wholesome 
impressions  of  Divine  Truth.  But,  while  securing  fresh  air 
in  full  and  inexhaustible  supplies,  every  public  sj^eakcr 
should  beware  of  speaking  in  a  draught.  The  last  effort  in 
public  of  the  most  polished  and  cultivated  speaker  in  New 
England  was  a  fatal  one  to  him  on  this  account.  Pure  air, 
it  should  be  remembered,  is  essential  to  the  clear  working 
of  the  brain,  through  the  proper  clarifying  of  the  blood. 
And  whatever  affects  the  condition  of  the  brain  is  imme- 
diately manifested  in  the  voice.  Much  of  the  j)reparatory 
hemming  and  hawing,  not  to  say  hawking  and  sjiitting, 
which  are  the  embarrassed  orator's  natural  joreface,  comes 
from  impurity  of  air.  The  beneficial  effect  of  pure  air 
upon  the  health  and  spirits,  and  upon  the  nervous  system, 
is  greater  than  can  be  stated. 

Although  the  free  use  of  pure  air  is  demanded,  care 
should  be  exercised,  especially  in  the  colder  weather,  to 
secure  the  air  at  a  genial  temperature.  It  is  simply  impos- 
sible to  have  the  vocal  organs  in  the  right  condition  for 
work  when  the  body  is  chilled.  To  insure  the  jiroper 
physical  condition  for  public  speaking,  the  feet  should  be 
kept  warm.  Thin-soled  or  damp  shoes  will  impair  the 
power  of  the  best  orator.  Is  it  not  proverbial  that  much 
of  the  health  of  the  English  people,  of  both  sexes,  is  pre- 
served to  them  by  the  use  of  thick-solcd  shoes  ?  It  is  very 
dangerous  for  the  public  speaker  to  sit  in  the  study  whon 
the  feet  are  chilled.  So  simple  a  protection  as  a  newspaper 
thrown  over  the  feet  during  the  hours  of  study  will  check 
the  draughts  on  the  floor  of  the  room,  and  keep  the  head 
cool  by  keeping  the  feet  warm.  It  is  well  for  the  student, 
who  is  to  use  his  voice,  to  form  the  habit  of  standing 
during  a  part  of  his  study  hours,  that  the  blood  may  de- 
scend to  the  extremities.  The  lamented  poet  Longfellow, 
to  the  last  years  of  his  life,  practiced  the  habit  of  writing 
at  a  standing  desk.  And  this  custom  of  standing  erect 
effects  not  only  an  easy  and  erect  carriage  of  the  hodiy, 


PRIMARY  CONDITIONS  OF  VOCAL  POWER.     13 

but,  by  strengthening  the  abdominal  and  also  the  dorsal 
muscles,  lessens  greatly  the  fatigue  of  rendering  the  public 
Seryice.  For  the  dorsal  muscles  have  a  twofold  function — 
that  of  supporting  the  spinal  column,  and  that  of  aiding  the 
expulsory  muscular  action  in  speaking.  This  exercise  is 
much  more  exhausting  when  using  the  voice  in  the  kneel- 
ing posture,  and  hence  arises  the  necessity  of  some  natural 
strengthening  discipline  of  these  muscles.  At  all  events, 
one  should  avoid  the  weakening  process  of  their  entire 
neglect  during  the  week.  Sitting  hour  after  hour  through- 
out the  days  of  the  week,  and  then  kneeling  and  vocalizing 
with  full  voice  in  the  public  Service,  is  quite  enough  to  tax 
the  strength  of  the  strongest.  The  nervous  condition  into 
which  many  speakers  are  thrown,  during  and  after  the 
effort  of  public  speaking,  can,  undoubtedly,  be  traced  to 
this  neglect  of  the  action  and  use  of  the  dorsal  muscles. 
This  would  affect  the  nerve  centers  in  that  vicinity  of  the 
spine,  and,  symj)athetically,  those  all  the  way  up  to  the 
brain. 

While  the  essential  conditions  of  warmth  are  insisted 
upon  as  necessary  to  the  health  of  the  public  speaker,  care 
should  be  exercised  not  to  overheat  the  organs  of  the  throat 
by  the  use  of  a  muffler  in  cold  weather.  As  an  extraordi- 
nary means  of  protection,  it  may  be  used  at  times  ;  but  the 
continued  habit  of  wearing  a  close  covering  for  the  throat 
softens  the  organs,  and  renders  them  more  sensitive  to  the 
harmful  influence  of  cold.  The  throat  can  be  inured  to 
such  climatic  conditions  as  readily  as  the  face  or  hands. 
The  rare  occurrence,  at  present,  of  ''clerical  sore  throat," 
and  the  decrease  in  the  death-list  of  consumption,  may  be 
largely  attributed  to  our  more  rational  modern  custom  of 
leaving  the  throat  exposed.  If  it  be  necessary  to  ride  in 
the  open  air  for  any  considerable  distance  before  speaking, 
a  newspaper  buttoned  under  the  coat  will  keep  the  chest 
warm,  and  prevent  that  deep  cliill  which  is  so  disastrous  to 
the  voice.     If  one  is  compelled  to  pass  directly  into  the 


14  ELOCUTION, 

cold  air  after  sj)eaking  in  a  heated  room,  then  the  throat 
should  be  covered  ;  but  it  is  much  better  for  the  speaker  to 
remain  for  ten  or  fifteen  minutes  in  the  room  where  he  has 
been  exercising  his  Yoice,  that  the  blood  may  be  gradually 
cooled.  We  believe  our  advice  on  this  point  is  clear.  It 
may  be  summed  up  by  saying  that  the  throat  should  be  left 
open  as  long  as  this  strengthens  it.  When  danger  arises 
that  a  chill  will  be  caused,  then  it  should  be  protected. 

Another  essential  condition  for  the  preservation  and 
development  of  the  vocal  powers  is  the  recognition  of  nat- 
ure's demand  for  healthful  rest.  The  nervous  system  of 
the  speaker  demands  it,  because  that,  especially,  is  worn 
by  the  intense  concentration  of  thought  and  vivid  flashes, 
or  continuous  fire,  of  the  feelings  which  accompany  public 
speaking ;  the  muscular  system,  because  in  many  parts  of 
the  body,  and  esjoecially  in  the  trunk,  there  is  a  continued 
strain  upon  the  muscles,  which  becomes  the  more  weari- 
some because  varied  by  the  concussive  efi'ect  of  the  expul- 
sion of  voice.  This  waste  can  be  supplied  only  by  the 
proper  amount  of  sleep  during  the  night,  when  the  nerves 
find  their  recreation  in  rest  and  torpidity,  the  muscles 
theirs  in  quiet  secretion.  The  speaker  who  exhausts  his 
power  by  too  little  sleep,  or  an  excess  of  it,  is  deliberately 
injuring  his  voice.  Insufficient  sleep  leaves  the  nerves  dis- 
turbed, and  imparts  a  harsh,  wiry  quality  to  the  voice  ; 
the  excess  of  it  causes  that  stupefying  and  sluggish  circula- 
tion which  renders  the  action  of  the  organs  labored  and 
unwieldy,  and  effects  the  roughness  of  tone  attending  pro- 
found somnolency.  A  brief  nap,  caught  even  in  a  chair, 
is  often  a  great  restorative  to  the  enfeebled  energies  of  body 
and  voice.  Excessive  or  even  the  usual  amount  of  labor 
on  the  day  preceding  public  effort  should  be  avoided.  The 
best  possible  preparation  for  effective  Sunday  work  is  a 
Saturday  morning  of  exercise,  an  afternoon  of  quiet  medi- 
tation, and  a  night  of  sleep. 

Harmonizing  with  the  rest  of  body  is  the  rest  of  spirit. 


PRIMARY  COXDITIOXS  OF   VOCAL  POWER.      15 

which  should  precede  the  placidity  and  de^Dth  of  feeling 
expressed  in  Divine  Service.  This  tranquillity  should  be 
imparted,  in  turn,  to  the  voice,  that  through  this  medium 
the  sweet  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit  may  be  the  more 
perfectly  shed  into  the  hearts  of  the  hearers  ;  and  few 
things  can  be  more  earnestly  condemned  than  the  ill-timed 
haste  with  which  some  clergymen  approach  their  divine 
ministrations.  A  rush  for  the  vestry,  a  hurried  and  super- 
ficial glance  at  the  Lessons,  the  whisking  on  of  a  suri^lice, 
the  sudden  assumption  of  a  calm  face  over  a  disturbed 
heart,  and  the  shepherd  is  ready  to  lead  his  flock  into  the 
Holy  of  Holies  !  It  is  impossible.  A  few  moments,  surely, 
of  calm  should  precede  the  approach  to  the  chancel.  It  is 
the  custom  of  at  least  one  effective  speaker  in  the  Church 
to  so  plan  his  time  as  to  arrive  in  his  vestry-room  several 
minutes  before  service,  in  order  that  he  may  be  seated 
quietly  for  a  brief  space  before  his  work  ;  and  the  best  prepa- 
ration for  the  fit  rendering  of  Divine  Service  is  a  quiet  hour 
of  private  meditation.  The  voice  will  tell  its  unwelcome 
tale  in  public  if  the  clergyman  neglects  his  duty  in  private. 

In  regard  to  all  other  matters  relating  to  preservation 
of  health  through  needful  rest,  the  speaker  should  realize 
that  the  violation  of  nature's  laws  will  be  retributively 
visited  upon  him  in  spite  of  all  efforts  to  secure  the  best 
culture  of  voice  ;  and,  among  others,  it  should  be  remem- 
bered that  there  are  few  things  so  injurious  to  the  voice  as 
protracted  mental  exertion  until  late  hours  of  the  night. 

Another  important  matter  to  be  considered  is  close  ob- 
servation of  the  natural  results  of  proper  dieting.  The 
clergy,  as  a  class,  suffer  more  from  indigestion  than  any 
other  body  of  men — the  inevitable  result  of  their  sedentary 
habits  and  neglect  of  exercise.  This  evil  is  largely  in- 
creased by  eating  indigestible  food.  No  single  rule  can 
apply  to  all  cases,  but  whatever  is  found  to  be  difficult 
of  digestion  should  be  avoided  by  every  man  seeking  the 
best  use  of  his  voice.      The  disturbance  of   the  mucous 


16  elocution: 

membrane,  caused  by  a  disordered  stomach,  tells  immedi- 
ately on  the  vocal  quality.  Almost  any  one  can  satisfy 
himself  of  this  by  eating  largely  of  any  fatty  matter,  or 
highly  spiced  salads,  pickles,  nuts,  etc.  Whatever  may  be 
easily  digested,  that  the  speaker  should  consider  sufficient 
nourishment  as  his  meal  before  speaking.  He  can  gratify 
the  cravings  of  appetite  at  other  times.  The  precise  hour 
for  using  the  voice  after  eating  would  depend  on  the  con- 
dition of  the  stomach.  Strong  vocal  effort  should  be 
avoided  immediately  after  eating  a  hearty  meal,  yet  it 
should  be  remembered  that  it  will  not  benefit  the  voice  to 
speak  while  fasting. 

In  this  connection  the  author  feels  the  necessity  of 
cautioning  all  public  speakers  against  the  custom  of  drink- 
ing freely  of  cold  water,  especially  iced-water,  either  im- 
mediately before  or  during  the  hours  of  speaking.  It  is 
well  also  to  avoid,  as  far  as  possible,  the  use  of  condiments 
as  a  habit.  A  medicated  lozenge,  or  even  something  as 
simple  as  a  lump  of  sugar,  or,  better  still,  a  taste  of  an 
orange,  may  be  helpful  at  times  ;  but  to  form  such  a  habit 
is  almost  of  necessity  to  destroy  the  more  delicate  and 
natural  qualities  of  the  voice,  and  the  play  of  the  organs  in 
producing  them.  We  should  so  drill  the  organs  to  a  natu- 
ral and  healthful  action  as  to  make  them  independent  of 
all  soporifics  and  stimulants. 

There  is  still  another  matter  left  which  is,  perhaps,  of 
greater  moment  to  the  public  speaker  than  any  of  the  con- 
siderations preceding,  and  that  is  the  absolute  necessity  of 
paying  attention  to  physical  exercise.  No  man,  desirous 
of  using  his  voice  at  the  best,  can  accomplish  this  purpose 
without  some  stated  exertion,  which  shall  cause  the  blood 
to  circulate  freely  and  healthfully,  and  to  give  tone  and 
vigor  to  the  body.  Whatever  pertains  to  physical  health 
immediately  affects  the  voice.  It  is  simply  an  impossi- 
bility that  a  clear  and  healthy  resonance  and  a  sustained 
and  reserved  vocal  power  can  be  secured  while  the  bodily 


PEIMAEY   CONDITIONS  OF   VOCAL  POWER.     17 

liealth  is  neglected.  The  speaker  needs  elasticity  of  spirits 
and  physical  energy  if  he  is  to  acquire  the  magnetic  power 
in  expression.  The  feeble  man  may  excite  the  sympathies 
of  his  congregation,  but  does  not  control  or  direct  their 
thoughts  through  the  living  power  of  his  own  utterance. 
It  must  be  admitted  that  this  is  to  be  secured  only  at  the 
sacrifice  of  time  and  effort ;  but  if  the  end  aimed  at  is  not 
worthy  of  this,  then  let  the  iniblic  use  of  the  voice  sink 
into  secondary  relations,  and  the  clergyman  not  be  blamed 
for  the  neglect  of  this  God-given  power. 

Walking  is  said  to  be  the  natural  exercise  for  students. 
Energetic  gymnastic  exercise  with  labor  apparatus,  or  with 
machinery  that  requires  the  exertion  of  the  will  to  secure 
its  benefit,  is  not,  ordinarily,  the  best  exercise  for  the 
thinker  and  speaker  on  sacred  subjects.  He  must  deal 
philosophically  with  the  profounder  and  greater  realities  of 
life,  allure  to  a  brighter  world,  and  lead  the  way  thither, 
and,  therefore,  can  not  be  careless  of  the  finer  sensibilities. 
Every  clergyman  can  learn  to  give  his  body  healthful  exer- 
cise by  the  use  of  the  imagination,  by  hfting  imaginary 
weights,  reaching  to  the  utmost  height  and  to  the  greatest 
distance,  throwing  the  arms  open  the  full  sweep,  by  clinch- 
ing the  fists,  and  energetically  thrusting  them  forward, 
downward,  upward,  etc.  By  these  and  similar  exercises 
he  may  give  his  body  all  the  necessary  drill  required  for 
the  preservation  of  the  voice. 

A  caution  must  be  added  against  exercising  with  too 
much  violence.  The  man  of  studious  habits  can  not  expect 
every  fiber  in  his  frame  to  have  the  same  toughness  natural 
to  the  body  of  a  working  man.  He  must,  therefore,  be 
careful  not  to  take  too  much  as  well  as  too  little  exercise. 

By  observing  these  directions,  a  vigorous  and  healthful 
tone  may  be  secured  to  the  physical  organization. 


18  ELOCUTION. 

CHAPTER  II. 

BEEATHIKG    EXERCISES. 

There  can  be  no  natural,  effective,  and  long-sustained 
speaking,  conducted  with  ease  both  to  the  si)eaker  and  to 
the  hearer,  without  the  proper  management  of  the  breath. 
And,  inasmuch  as  public  speaking  exceeds  in  effort  the 
ordinary  colloquial  use  of  the  yoice,  it  is  necessary  to  keep 
the  lungs  supplied  with  a  greater  body  of  air  for  the  former 
than  for  the  latter.  The  more  powerful  efforts  of  the 
orator  require  the  physical  pressure  of  a  large  volume  of  air 
deep  in  the  lungs,  behind  the  vocal  organs.  The  delicate 
uses  require  that  the  organs  be  well  trained  to  emit  it  in 
proper  quantities.  And  no  less  skill  is  required  in  rejilen- 
ishing  the  exhausted  store-house  than  in  emptying  it  effect- 
ively. The  whole  apparatus,  from  the  li23S  to  the  lowest 
cells  of  the  lungs,  must  be  in  vigorous  condition  and  in 
i:)erfect  training,  before  the  speaker  can  expect  his  thought 
to  be  fitly  uttered.  It  is  very  seldom  that  men  of  sedentary 
habits  have  occasion  to  use  more  than  the  slightest  supjaly 
of  breath. 

The  tidal  hreatli,  so  termed,  is  sufficient  for  the  study, 
but  not  for  the  public  auditorium.  The  prescribed  exer- 
cises following  will  not  only  give  full  and  free  expansion 
to  the  lungs,  bvit  will  also  exercise  the  expulsory  muscles 
healthfully,  which  are  called  into  play  in  the  stronger  uses 
of  the  voice.* 

First  Series :  With  Reference  to  the  Complete  Airing  of  the 

Lungs. 

1.  Stand  in  the  erect  posture,  with  arms  akimbo,  that 
the  weight  of  the  shoulders  may  be  lifted  from  the  chest. 
Inhale  a  full  breath,  with  the  mouth  closed.     Exhale  with 

*  In  all  these  exercises  pure  air  must  be  secured,  but  not  the  outer  air, 
if  it  be  cold. 


BREATHIXG  EXERCISES.  19 

a  moderate  sigh.  Repeat  the  exercise  with  regard  to  the 
fullest  supply  of  breath  in  the  inhalation,  filling  about  five 
seconds  of  time  each  with  the  inspiration  and  the  expira- 
tion. 

2.  Inhale  with  especial  reference  to  the  filling  of  the 
lowest  air-tells  in  the  lungs,  and  be  conscious  of  the  enter- 
ing current  of  air  as  far  as  it  can  possibly  reach  downward. 
Then  exhale  so  as  to  exhaust  the  supply  from  the  lowest  air- 
cells. 

3.  luhale  as  above,  expanding  outtoardly  the  lower  air- 
cells  as  much  as  possible.  This  will  cause  an  outward  pro- 
jection of  the  lower  ribs.  Expel  the  air  as  before  directed, 
when  the  lungs  have  been  filled. 

4.  By  muscular  effort  raise  the  shoulders,  and  fill  the 
lungs  upwardly.  Exhale  with  the  downward  pressure  of 
the  clavicle. 

5.  Inhale  with  especial  reference  to  the  outward  and 
forward  expansion  of  the  chest,  giving  it  a  rounded  projec- 
tion, and  throwing  the  shoulders  well  back  and  down.  In 
the  exhalation  press  the  ribs  inward  and  upward,  so  as  to 
exhaust  the  supply  of  air. 

6.  Let  the  breath  be  inhaled  as  before,  with  the  fullest 
expansion  of  the  chest,  and  then  retain  it  for  ten  seconds. 
In  repeating  the  exercise,  from  time  to  time,  increase  the 
number  of  seconds  of  the  retention,  as  far  as  the  exercise 
may  be  carried  without  inconvenience. 

7.  Take  the  same  exercise  as  above,  walking  a  few  steps 
across  the  room,  with  the  lungs  inflated,  and  then  exhale. 

8.  Fill  the  lungs  completely  at  one  gasp. 

9.  Inhale  as  before,  and  exhale  with  a  firm,  voluntary 
action  of  the  muscles,  still  employing  breath,  not  sound. 
The  object  of  this  exercise  is  not  merely  to  strengthen  the 
lungs,  but  also  to  secure  the  proper  abdomijial  action  of  the 
muscles  in  exhalation.  Let  the  effort  be  made  to  exhaust 
the  lungs  by  throwing  the  breath  entirely  through  the  nos- 
trils.    Repeat  the  same  exercise  with  the  mouth  open,  as 


20  ELOCUTION 

in  the  action  of  hearty  laughter,  still  using  the  aspirated, 
not  the  vocalized,  breath. 

10.  With  the  same  inhalation  as  above,  give  abrupt  and 
somewhat  violent  action  to  the  abdominal  muscles,  so  as  to 
produce  explosive  breathing  in  the  exhalation,  resembling 
a  whispered  cough. 

The  previous  exercises  have  primary  reference  to  the 
effect  of  the  breath  upon  the  lungs.  Other  suggestions 
will  be  given  below,  in  connection  with  remarks  on  muscu- 
lar action.  They  will  be  found  particularly  serviceable  as 
preliminary  to  the  use  of  the  voice  in  church.  Most  of 
them  can  be  followed  during  the  hours  of  exercise,  or  on 
the  way  to  church,  or  in  the  vestry-room.  Several  jDupils 
have  expressed  to  the  author  their  indebtedness  for  this 
form  of  exercise  in  warming  the  blood  and  heating  the 
organs  healthfully  before  the  public  use  of  the  voice. 

Second  Series :  With  Reference  to  the  Vocal  Chords. 

1.  Inhale  as  before,  with  the  nostrils,  and  exhale  with 
the  whisjoered  sound  of  ^'ah"  caused  by  the  passage  of  the 
air  over  the  tense  vocal  chords. 

2.  Prolong  this  exj^iration  for  several  seconds.  Suffi- 
cient practice  will  enable  the  student  to  easily  double  the 
number  of  seconds  which  he  found  sufficient  for  the  first 
attempt.  One  beginning  with  fifteen  seconds  as  the  time 
for  the  first  expiration  will,  after  a  few  days,  reach  from 
thirty  to  forty-five  seconds,  and  in  a  few  weeks  a  full  min- 
ute, or  even  more,  will  not  be  found  exhausting. 

3.  Fill  the  lungs  as  above,  and  prolong  the  whispered 
"«7i,"  with  a  free  opening  of  the  vocal  chords — the  same 
position  of  the  organs  as  in  sounding  the  lowest  note  of  the 
musical  scale.  Then  proceed  from  this  to  change  the  posi- 
tion of  the  organs  to  that  employed  in  the  production  of 
the  highest  notes,  graduating  the  exercise  through  several 
varying  tones.  Let  the  expiration  be  moderate  in  each 
case. 


BREATUIXG  EXERCISES.  21 

4.  Fill  tlie  lungs  and  give  the  expulsive  action  to  the 
muscles,  the  breath  escajaing  through  the  larynx,  instead  of 
the  nose,  as  in  Exercise  9,  First  Series. 

5.  Inspire  as  above,  making  a  complete  occlusion  of  the 
vocal  chords,  and  then  let  the  breath  be  forced  out  with  an 
explosive  effort. 

Caution. — The  two  exercises  following  must  be  prac- 
ticed moderately  to  avoid  injury  : 

6.  Inhale  with  the  mouth  open,  the  breath  being  drawn 
across  the  vocal  chords  so  as  to  be  audible,  but  not  properly 
vocal,  making  the  same  effort  to  produce  different  notes  on 
the  musical  scale,  with  the  sound  of  "  ah." 

7.  Inhale  and  exhale  rapidly,  as  in  panting. 

TMrd  Series :   With  reference  to  the  Uvula. 

1.  "With  the  uvula  pendent,  sound  the  lowest  aspirated 
note  of  the  syllable  "  aio." 

2.  Elevate  the  uvula,  and  give  the  breath  an  acute 
sound  on  the  high  pitch,  with  the  syllable  "  «A." 

It  is  a  good  custom  to  ojDen  and  close  the  breathing 
exercises  with  some  moderate  inhalations  and  exhalations, 
the  mouth  being  closed.  This  closed  position  should  be 
observed  as  a  rule  in  the  greater  part  of  the  exercises.  It 
should  also  be  remembered  as  a  healthful  position  of  the 
organs  for  natural  breathing,  especially  in  sleep.  Any 
public  speaker  can  verify  this  assertion  by  observing  tlie 
difference  between  the  effect  on  the  voice  succeedino-  the 
natural  position  and  that  following  prolonged  and  slothful 
slumber,  sleep  after  great  fatigue,  or  attacks  of  biliousness 
or  indigestion.  In  the  latter  conditions  the  mouth  is  fre- 
quently thrown  open,  and  the  effect  upon  the  voice  is  very 
different  from  that  which  comes  after  restful  sleep  with  the 
mouth  tightly  closed. 


22  ELOCUTION. 

Fourth  Series :   Muscular  Exercises  combined  with 

Breathing. 

1.  Fill  the  lungs  completely,  and  exhale  with  a  strong 
expulsive  effort,  so  as  to  project  the  stream  of  breath  as  far 
as  possible.  This  is  a  strong  form  of  deliyering  the  exhala- 
tion, in  the  manner  known  by  the  boys  as  "  seeing  the 
breath  "  on  a  frosty  morning. 

2.  It  is  very  important  that  the  public  speaker  should 
have  an  an  erect  carriage  of  the  body.  He  thus  not  merely 
secures  the  full  play  of  the  lungs,  and  avoids  the  cramped 
position  of  the  abdomen,  Avhich,  in  time,  affects  the  organs 
of  digestion,  but  cultivates,  at  the  same  time,  that  uj)right 
bearing  of  the  body  which  is  one  of  the  attractive  features 
in  public  speaking.  An  enfeebled  look  or  carriage  of  the 
body,  especially  when  aggravated  by  the  stooping  posture 
which  stomachic  disorders  naturally  produce,  sadly  detracts 
from  the  manly  and  commanding  effects  of  the  orator.  All 
public  speakers  should  acquire,  by  every  effort  of  will,  and 
at  whatever  cost  of  time  and  exertion,  the  power  to  stand 
erect.  One  of  the  best  exercises  to  secure  this  erect  car- 
riage, and  one  which  will  certainly  so  result  if  persisted  in, 
is  the  following  :  Stand  against  some  perpendicular  surface, 
and  then  inhale  and  hold  a  full  breath,  carrying  the  chin 
down  and  in,  and  the  brow  back,  the  heels,  head,  and  all 
parts  of  the  body  being  pressed  firmly  against  this  surface. 
Then  Avalk  around  the  room  a  few  times,  with  the  lungs 
still  inflated,  and  the  body  held  at  the  undeviating  line 
directed,  and  return  to  the  former  position  to  see  if  there 
has  been  any  variation  from  the  perpendicular.  The  head 
and  heels  should  touch  the  surface  simultaneously  on  re- 
turning, in  this  test.  In  order  to  secure  the  straightest  line 
for  this  measurement,  a  door  may  be  opened,  and  the  edge 
used  for  the  normal  line.  If  this  exercise  be  persisted  in 
as  a  daily  drill,  it  will,  almost  by  necessity,  straighten  the 
form. 


BREATUIXQ  EXERCISES.  23 

3.  Every  public  speaker  inclined  to  the  stooping  post- 
ure, that  he  may  secure  the  proper  carriage,  should  take 
especial  pains  to  see  that  his  sitting  posture  is  also  erect. 
If  the  spinal  column  is  pressed  against  tlie  back  of  a  chair, 
it  will  result  as  above.  Chairs  with  curved  backs  and 
scooping  seats,  particularly  the  ''American  rocking-chair," 
are  very  injurious  to  the  habits  of  the  speaker  in  their  effect 
upon  the  body.  If  absolute  rest  is  at  any  time  required,  it 
is  better  to  recline  at  full  length  than  to  sit  in  a  cramped 
position.  Chairs  with  stuffed  backs  heat  the  spine,  and 
must,  therefore,  be  avoided. 

4.  Fill  the  lungs,  and  hold  the  chest  full,  tupping  it 
gently  all  over  with  the  tips  of  the  fiugers. 

5.  Then,  inflating  and  holding  the  lungs  full  as  before, 
slap  the  chest  gently  with  the  open  hand. 

6.  Expand  as  above,  and  heat  gently  with  the  fists,  with 
light,  elastic  blows,  so  as  to  make  the  chest  resound. 

7.  Inflate  the  lungs,  and  j^ress  firmly  upon  the  chest  at 
different  parts,  as  if  to  break  down  the  muscular  resistance 
of  the  expansion. 

8.  Inhale  a  full  breath,  set  the  abdominal  muscles  on 
tension,  and  press  against  them  firmly  with  the  tips  of  the 
fingers,  so  as  to  feel  strongly  the  resistance. 

9.  Inflating  as  before,  slap  with  a  light  blow  of  the 
open  hand  all  the  surface  of  the  chest,  and  as  far  down  as 
the  abdomen. 

10.  Eepeat  as  above,  using  the  fist  gently,  and  increas- 
ing the  strength  of  the  blow  as  the  power  of  resistance  in- 
creases. 

11.  Inflate  the  lungs  fully,  while  extending  and  moving 
the  arms  up  gradually  from  the  sides  to  the  highest  reach, 
keeping  them  perfectly  straight. 

12.  Exhaust  the  supply  of  breath,  throw  the  arms  up 
as  before,  and  inhale  as  they  gradually  descend  to  the  sides, 
keeping  them  open. 

13.  Exhale,  extend  the  arms  in  front,  with  the  palms 


24  ELOCUTIOK 

of  the  hands  together,  and  inhale  while  extending  the  arms 
on  an  horizontal  line  as  far  back  as  they  can  be  thrown. 

14.  Having  placed  the  palms  together,  as  before,  inhale 
while  throwing  the  arms  outward  and  downward. 

15.  Clinch  the  fists,  raise  them  to  the  sides  of  the  chest, 
and  exhale  while  thrusting  the  arms  forward,  at  the  full 
length. 

16.  Inhale  with  the  arms  forivard.  Inhale  with  a  gasp 
while  throwing  the  arms  backward  energetically. 

17.  With  the  arms  akimbo,  fill  the  lungs,  and  throw  the 
chest  forward  and  downward  as  far  as  possible,  retaining 
the  breath.  Exhaust  the  air  in  the  same  posture.  Inhale 
while  recovering  the  erect  posture. 

18.  Inflate  fully,  with  the  arms  akimbo  and  the  heels 
together,  and,  retaining  the  breath,  throw  the  head  as  far 
backward  as  possible. 

19.  Exhaust  the  lungs,  throw  the  head  back  as  before, 
and  inhale  during  the  recovery  to  the  erect  posture. 

30.  Stand  in  the  erect  posture,  with  the  hands  at  the 
sides,  lean  far  to  the  right  while  inhaling,  and  recover  post- 
ure with  the  lungs  full. 

21.  Eepeat  the  same  exercise,  inclining  the  body  to  the 
left. 

The  above  movements  should,  in  every  case,  be  moder- 
ately and  deliberately  practiced  until  there  is  sufiicient  re- 
served force  to  increase  the  violence  of  the  exercise.  In  all 
vocal  drill,  and  in  all  muscular  exercise  affecting  it,  no 
violence  should  be  done  at  the  beginning  or  at  the  ending 
of  the  discij)line  by  sudden  efforts  of  any  kind.  Great 
injury  may  result  from  a  disregard  of  this  simple  direc- 
tion. 

The  same  care  should  be  used  in  regard  to  the  number 
of  the  exercises.  It  is  not  well  to  indulge  in  an  excessive 
amount  at  one  time.  It  may  be  thought  that  unnecessary 
attention  is  given  to  the  breathing  exercises,  and  those  ac- 
companying them ;  but  it  should  be  remembered  that  the 


ARTICULATION.  25 

lungs  are  the  bellows  to  supply  the  air,  and  that,  when  the 
chest  is  flexible,  and  the  muscles  moving  it  strong  and 
pliable,  the  voice  will  be  accordingly  benefited  by  it. 


CHAPTER  III. 

ARTICULATIOif. 

After  securing  the  proper  management  of  the  breath, 
distinct  articulation  is  the  next  excellence  to  be  sought  by 
the  public  speaker.  This  has  reference,  first,  to  the  simple 
action  of  the  muscles  in  the  articulating  process.  Like  a 
well-formed  joint,  the  syllable  fits  into  its  place  in  the 
word,  and  so  moves  without  hindrance  to  the  ear.  Imper- 
fect or  unfinished  articulation  might  be  termed  disjointed. 
The  syllables  do  not  fit  into  their  sockets.  And  it  should 
be  observed  that,  inasmuch  as  this  relates  purely  to  the 
muscular  action,  it  is  distinct  from  enunciation,  which  has 
reference  to  the  sound  of  the  syllable,  or  pronunciation, 
which  decides  the  correct  accent,  etc.,  according  to  estab- 
lished usage. 

Faulty  articulation  is  the  result  of  an  imperfect  action 
of  the  will-power,  through  inadvertence  or  inattention, 
for,  in  almost  every  instance,  it  is  a  possible  thing  to  articu- 
late, if  the  speaker  wills  to  do  so.  Too  much  care  given 
to  this  matter  becomes  quite  apparent  as  a  defect.  The 
schoolmaster's  pedantic  and  labored  style  is  plainly  tlic 
result  of  paying  too  close  attention  to  the  mechanical  ac- 
tion in  speech.  The  following  exercises  are  set  down  as 
valuable  in  this  connection  : 

1.  A  useful  drill-exercise  is  to  give  the  action  of  the 
organs  in  the  articulation  of  the  letters  of  the  alphabet  by 
forming  the  syllables  silently  as  they  occur  in  a  word,  but 
uttering  no  sound.     Articulate  the  alphabet  in  this  way. 


26  elocution: 

not  wliisj)ering  the  elements,  nor  naming  tliem,  but  giving 
them  simply  the  function  of  silent  formation.  Let  this  be 
repeated  with  varying  degrees  of  force,  from  moderate  to 
strongest,  and  with  different  rates  of  movement,  from  slow 
to  quickest.  Practice  also  with  the  vocal  chords  set  in  the 
different  positions  required  for  varied  pitch. 

2.  Then  name  the  letters  of  the  alphabet,  with  the 
varying  degrees  of  force,  movement,  and  pitch,  as  above. 

3.  Articulate  vocally  the  separate  syllables  of  a  word  in 
succession,  e.  g.,  those  of  the  word  "elocution,^'  giving  the 
successive  syllables  "eZ,"  "o,"  "t?M,"  " tio7i."  Practice 
any  other  words  in  the  same  way, 

4.  Articulate  the  sounds  formed  by  varying  position  of 
the  mouth.  The  following  brief  table  will  illustrate  the 
author's  meaning,  and  describe  the  position  of  the  mouth 
referred  to  : 

''^7i,"  formed  by  the  widest  opening;  ''«w,"  formed 
by  sinking  of  the  larynx  and  projection  of  the  lips;  "a," 
formed  by  drawing  the  corners  of  the  mouth  back  ;  "e," 
formed  with  the  mouth  nearly  closed,  and  the  tongue 
raised  in  the  mouth. 

The  same  study  in  the  position  of  the  organs  may  be 
followed  with  other  sounds. 

It  has  been  demonstrated  by  the  distinguished  scientist 
Helmholtz,  with  the  aid  of  ingenious  apparatus,  that  the 
vowel  sounds  are  each  formed  by  a  certain  number  of  vibra- 
tions per  second  of  the  air  propelled  in  breath.  Madame 
Seller,  his  former  assistant,  now  resident  in  this  country, 
in  her  work  entitled  "The  Voice  in  SjDeaking,"  has  carried 
this  theory  still  further,  and  applied  it  to  the  consonants. 
This  is  testified  to  by  the  natural  key  of  the  sound  of  each 
letter.  Imperfections  in  the  sound  of  elements  and  sylla- 
bles is,  therefore,  the  result  of  an  insufficient  or  excessive 
number  of  vibrations  employed  in  forming  them,  together 
with  the  position  of  the  vocal  organs.  It  is  not  our  pur- 
pose to  enter  into  any  discussion  of  this  matter,  but  simply 


ARTICULATION.  27 

to  suggest  to  those  who  are  scientifically  or  musically  in- 
terested how  the  different  tones  may  be  formed  or  their 
accuracy  yerified.  The  references  should  fix  our  attention, 
however,  on  the  fact  that  the  delivery  of  the  correct  sound 
of  a  syllable  requires  very  delicate  action  and  exact  position 
of  the  organs.  The  slightest  departure  from  the  standard 
impairs  the  accuracy  of  the  sound.  "When  the  will  of  the 
speaker  is  inert,  and  the  ear  dull,  indistinctness  results  by 
necessity.  This  is  well  illustrated  when  a  person,  speaking 
carelessly,  fails  to  convey  a  single  intelligible  word  in  an 
entire  sentence.  The  attention  of  the  speaker  having  been 
called  to  this  by  a  request  for  repetition,  he  exerts  more 
will,  pays  closer  attention  to  his  utterance,  and  every  sylla- 
ble becomes  distinctly  audible.  The  custom  of  speaking 
distinctly,  whether  in  public  or  in  private,  may  be  acquired, 
as  other  habits  are,  by  repetition.  If  the  student  will  but 
drill  himself  on  the  utterance  of  a  single  word,  giving  it 
clearly  and  distinctly,  he  will  find  the  effect  quite  apparent, 
after  practicing  a  short  time,  whenever  he  has  occasion  to 
use  the  word.  The  effect  of  any  given  mental  occupation, 
or  style  of  delivering  thought,  upon  the  manner  of  speak- 
ing, is  quite  evident  in  the  professions.  A  schoolmaster, 
who,  for  a  series  of  years,  has  given  himself  to  explicit 
directions  and  explanations,  and  the  lawyer,  whose  custom 
it  is  to  be  emphatically  exact  in  imparting  his  thought, 
both  show  the  effect  of  such  professional  life. 

Defects  in  speech,  if  serious,  require  professional  aid  to 
overcome  them  ;  but  ordinary  indistinctness  and  the  slighter 
impediments  may  be  easily  remedied  by  obeying  the  direc- 
tions following  : 

1.  Fasten  the  attention  upon  the  syllable  or  word,  and 
utter  it  with  the  determined  purpose  to  make  it  clear  and 
distinct. 

2.  A  preliminary  pause  will  often  untwist  the  chains 
that  tic  the  tongue,  or  enable  them  to  untwist  them- 
selves. 


28  ELOCUTION. 

3.  Draw  a  deej)  inspiration^  to  relax  the  contraction  of 
the  nerves  and  muscles. 

4.  Mark  the  time  rhythmically  for  the  delivery,  some- 
vrhat  in  the  style  of  recitative  in  music. 

5.  Form  the  words  in  the  front  of  the  mouth,  rather 
than  in  the  back  of  it  or  the  throat,  if  the  elements  admit 
of  it. 

No  speaker  should  willingly  content  himself  with  any- 
thing less  than  such  clear  articulation  as  would  render  every 
word  distinctly  audible  to  every  listener. 

And  yet,  while  every  one  would  be  willing  to  admit  the 
value  and  the  necessity  of  this  distinctness,  probably  not 
one  in  twenty  is  heard  in  every  word  of  the  Service  by  the 
entire  congregation.  This  is  unpardonable  negligence  on 
the  part  of  the  speaker,  and,  in  many  cases,  an  intolerable 
annoyance  to  the  hearer.  It  is  not  surprising  that  many 
in  a  congregation  will  not  distress  themselves  to  make  the 
special  effort  to  catch  the  words,  when  the  clergyman  him- 
self will  not  make  the  necessary  exertion  to  distinctly  articu- 
late them. 

The  acquisition  of  a  distinct  articulation  lies  within  the 
power  of  every  speaker,  and  he  is  voluntarily  and  culpably 
diminishing  his  etfectiveness  by  tolerating  anything  less 
than  a  clear  and  emphatic  delivery  of  every  sound  in  every 
syllable.  Any  one  can  test  the  matter  for  himself,  by  ques- 
tioning his  sexton,  or  other  church  officer  at  the  rear  of  the 
building,  as  to  whether  every  word  penetrates  to  the  farthest 
corner.  If  he  will  read  aloud  to  himself  some  such  famil- 
iar passage  as  the  Exhortation  of  the  Daily  Service,  he  will 
probably  observe  a  tendency  to  slight  some  of  the  minor 
syllables,  and  especially  such  little  words  as  and,  of,  the,  etc. 

That  we  do  not  over-state  the  charges  against  imj^erfect 
articulation  will  be  apparent  to  any  one  who  will  examine 
a  not  uncommon  reading  of  the  Exhortation.  The  a  in 
acknowledge  is  often  given  with  the  short  sound  of  e  or  i — 
ecknowledge  or  ichnowledge.     The  d  in  a7id  following,  and. 


ARTICULATIOK  29 

in  a  majority  of  its  uses  througliout  tlie  Service,  is  com- 
monly dropped  altogether,  making  an\  The  a  in  the 
same  word  is  very  commonly  supplanted  by  a  short  w,  re- 
sulting in  unci;  and,  even  still  more  commonly,  both  the 
a  and  the  d  being  elided,  gives  the  mere  suggestion  of  the 
"word  in  the  single  letter  'w'.  The  next  word  suffers  in 
the  first  syllable,  o  being  elided.  The  two  muls  following 
suffer  as  the  first ;  nor  becomes  nur,  and,  by  a  change  in 
the  first  syllable,  AlmigMy  becomes  ZJ /-mighty,  or  01- 
mighty  for  ^//-mighty.  The  provincialisms  of  New  Eng- 
land incline  us,  by  using  the  short  a  in  Father,  to  pronounce 
it  Father,  and,  in  some  of  the  western  and  southern  States, 
Fawther,  in  place  of  the  beautiful  Italian  a  of  Father. 
Continuing,  we  find  confess  again  for  co?ifess,  aiv'  obedient 
for  and  obedient,  wZ>tain  for  obtain,  furgiveness  a/^'  mercy, 
instead  oi  forgiveness  and  mercy.  Acknowledge,  as  above  ; 
flw'  meet,  an'  necessary,  an'  beseecli,  unf  th'  throne,  for  and 
meet,  and  necessary,  and  beseech,  unto  the  throne,  follow  in 
order.  In  remedying  these  defects,  the  student  should 
guard  against  the  fault  of  producing  emphasis  by  force 
or  labored  articulation,  and  distorting  a  syllable  thus  : 
^c^•nowledge,  and,  confess,  nor,  ^//-mighty,  obtain,  for- 
giveness.  Eead  the  Exhortation  with  reference  to  dis- 
tinctness of  articulation  : 

"  Dearly  beloved  brethren,  the  Scripture  moveth  us, 
in  sundry  places,  to  acknowledge  and  confess  our  manifold 
sins  and  wickedness  ;  and  that  we  should  not  dissemble  nor 
cloak  them  before  the  face  of  Almighty  God,  our  heavenly 
Father ;  but  confess  them  with  an  humble,  lowly,  peni- 
tent, and  obedient  heart ;  to  the  end  that  we  may  obtain 
forgiveness  of  the  same,  by  his  infinite  goodness  and  mercy. 
And  although  we  ouglit,  at  all  times,  humbly  to  acknowl- 
edge our  sins  before  God ;  yet  ought  we  chiefly  so  to  do, 
when  we  assemble  and  meet  together  to  render  thanks  for 
the  great  benefits  that  we  have  received  at  his  hands,  to  set 
forth  his  most  worthy  praise,  to  hear  his  most  holy  Word, 


30  ELOCUTION. 

and  to  ask  those  things  which  are  requisite  and  necessary, 
as  well  for  the  body  as  the  soul.  Wherefore  I  pray  and 
beseech  you,  as  many  as  are  here  present,  to  accompany 
me  ■with  a  pure  heart,  and  humble  voice,  unto  the  throne 
of  the  heavenly  grace,  saying — " 

Furtlier  defects  in  Articulation  to  be  avoided.  —  Ob- 
serve the  tendency  to  slur  of  the  and  imto  the  in  the  second 
of  the  Opening  Sentences.  The  sublimity  and  majesty,  in 
the  expression  of  this  Sentence,  are  seriously  impaired  by 
the  imperfect  utterance  of  any  of  the  unemphatic  syllables. 
It  imparts  the  effect  of  the  cessation  of  the  authoritative 
utterance  for  the  moment.  In  the  fourth  Sentence  say 
committed,  not  C2^mmitted  ;  lawful  and  right,  not  lawful 
an'  right.  In  the  eighth  Sentence,  and  repenteth,  not  an' 
rejjenteth.  In  the  tenth  Sentence  connect,  not  correct.  In 
the  twelfth,  all  the  ayids  should  be  carefully  observed  in 
their  distinctness,  though  not  rendered  with  emphasis.  In 
the  last  Sentence,  co^ifess  and  /orgive,  in  place  of  the  same 
words  with  the  short  sound  of  «.  Eeview  the  Sentences 
with  this  in  mind  : 

Second  Sentence:  *Trom  the  rising  of  the  sun  even 
unto  the  going  down  of  the  same,  my  Name  shall  be  great 
among  the  Gentiles ;  and  in  every  jilace  incense  shall  be 
offered  unto  my  Name,  and  a  pure  offering  :  for  my  Name 
shall  be  great  among  the  heathen,  saith  the  Lokd  of  hosts." 

Fourth  Sentence:  ''When  the  wicked  man  turneth 
away  from  his  wickedness  that  he  hath  committed,  and 
doeth  that  which  is  lawful  and  right,  he  shall  save  his  soul 
alive." 

Eighth  Sentence :  "■  Eend  your  heart,  and  not  your  gar- 
ments, and  turn  unto  the  Lokd  your  God  ;  for  he  is  gra- 
cious and  merciful,  slow  to  anger,  and  of  great  kindness, 
and  repenteth  him  of  the  evil. " 

Tenth  Sentence :  "  0  Lord,  correct  me,  but  with  judg- 
ment ;  not  in  thine  anger,  lest  thou  bring  me  to  nothing." 

Twelfth  Sentence:  "1  will  arise,  a7id  go  to  my  father. 


AETIGULATIOK  31 

and  I  will  say  unto  him,  Father,  I  have  sinned  against 
heaven,  and  before  thee,  and  am  no  more  worthy  to  be 
called  thy  son." 

Fourteenth  Sentence  :  ''  If  we  say  that  we  have  no  sin, 
we  deceive  ourselves,  and  the  truth  is  not  in  us  ;  but  if  we 
confess  our  sins,  God  is  faithful  and  just  to  forgive  us  our 
sins,  and  to  cleanse  us  from  all  unrighteousness." 

It  is  not  necessary  to  repeat  the  many  instances  in 
which  the  same  syllables  given  above  are  repeated  through- 
out the  Service.  The  same  care  should,  of  course,  be  ob- 
served wherever  they  may  occur. 

The  omission  of  the  initial  h  of  the  pronouns  in  the 
Gospel  narrative  is  another  fault :  "  Then  took  ho,  Him.  up 
in  7ns  arms,  and  blessed  Him." 

Kead  the  following  narrative  with  reference  to  the  pro- 
nunciation of  the  h  in  every  pronoun  : 

''  And  ho  Cometh  to  Bethsaida  ;  and  they  bring  a  blind 
man  unto  him,  and  besought  him  to  touch  him.  And  he 
took  the  blind  man  by  the  hand,  and  led  him  out  of  the 
town  ;  and  when  he  had  spit  on  his  eyes,  and  put  his  hands 
upon  him,  he  asked  him  if  he  saw  aught.  And  he  looked 
up,  and  said,  I  see  men  as  trees,  walking.  After  that  he 
put  his  hands  again  upon  his  eyes,  and  made  him  look  up  ; 
and  he  was  restored,  and  saw  every  man  clearly.  And 
he  sent  him  away  to  his  house,  saying,  Neither  go  into 
the  town,  nor  tell  it  to  any  in  the  toAvn." — St.  Mark, 
viii,  22-2G. 

DifficuU  Combinations. — "  Who  hast  kept  with  Thy  ser- 
vant David  my  father,  that  Thou  promisedst  him  :  Thou 
spakest  also  with  Thy  mouth,  and  hast  fulfilled  it  with 
Thine  hand,  as  it  is  this  day.  Therefore,  now,  Lord  God 
of  Israel,  keep  with  thy  servant  David  my  father,  that 
Thou  promisedst  him,  saying,  There  shall  not  fail  thee  a 
man  in  My  sight  to  sit  on  the  throne  of  Israel." — 1  Kings, 
viii,  24,  25. 

"  The  smith  with  the  tongs  both  worketh  in  the  coals. 


32  ELOCUTION. 

and  fasliioneth  it  with  hammers,  and  worketh  it  with  the 
strength  of  his  arms  :  yea,  he  is  hungry,  and  his  strength 
faileth ;  he  drinketh  no  water,  and  is  faint.  The  car- 
penter stretcheth  out  his  rule,  he  marketh  it  out  with  a 
line,  he  fitteth  it  with  planes,  and  he  marketh  it  out  with 
the  compass,  and  maketh  it  after  the  figure  of  a  man, 
according  to  the  beauty  of  a  man ;  that  it  may  remain  in 
the  house." — Isaiah,  xliv,  12,  13. 

^'  Thou  art  the  Lord  the  God,  who  didst  choose  Abram, 
and  broughtest  him  forth  out  of  Ur  of  the  Chaldees,  and 
gavest  him  the  name  of  Abraham  ;  and  foundest  his  heart 
faithful  before  Thee,  and  madest  a  covenant  with  him, 

and  didst  see  the  affliction  of  our  fathers  in 
Egypt,  and  heardest  their  cry  by  the  Ked  Sea,  and  shew- 
edst  signs  and  wonders  upon  Pharaoh  and  on  all  his  ser- 
vants, ...  so  didst  Thou  get  Thee  a  name,  as  it  is 
this  day.  And  Thou  didst  divide  the  sea  before  them,  so 
that  they  went  through  the  midst  of  the  sea  on  dry  land. 
.  .  .  Thou  camest  down  also  upon  Mount  Sinai,  and 
spakest  with  them  from  heaven,  and  gavest  them  right 
judgments,  .  .  .  and  madest  known  unto  them  Thy 
holy  Sabbath,  and  commandedst  them  precepts,  .  .  . 
and  gavest  them  bread  from  heaven,  .  .  .  and  brought- 
est forth  water  for  them  out  of  the  rock  for  their  thirst, 
and  promisedst  them  that  they  should  go  in  to  possess  the 
land.  .  .  .  Their  children  also  multipliedst  Thou  as 
the  stars  of  heaven,  and  broughtest  them  into  the  land 
concerning  which  Thou  hadst  promised  to  their  fathers. 

Nevertheless  they  were  disobedient, 
therefore  Thou  deliveredst  them  into  the  hand  of  their 
enemies,  and  in  the  time  of  their  trouble  when  they  cried 
unto  Thee  Thou  heardest  them,  .  .  .  and  gavest  them 
saviours,  who  saved  them  out  of  the  hand  of  their  ene- 
mies. Yet  many  years  didst  Thou  forbear  them,  and 
testifiedst  against  them  by  Thy  Spirit  in  Thy  prophets : 
yet  would  they  not  give  ear  :  therefore  gavest  Thou  them 


ARTICULATION.  33 

into  the  hand  of  the  people  of  the  lands." — Nehemiah,  ix, 
7-30. 

"The  mirth  of  tabret  ceaseth,  the  noise  of  them  that 
rejoice  endeth,  the  joy  of  the  harp  ceaseth." 

"This  man  ceaseth  not  to  speak  blasphemous  words 
against  this  holy  place  and  the  law." 

"  What  advantageth  it  me  ?  " 

"Lord,  show  us  the  Father,  and  it  sufficeth  us." 

"  So  soon  passeth  it  away,  and  we  are  gone." 

"  When  thou  wast  young,  thou  girdedst  thyself,  and 
walkedst  whither  thou  wouldest,  but  when  thou  shalt  be 
old,  thou  shalt  stretch  forth  thine  hands,  and  another  shall 
gird  thee,  and  carry  thee  whither  thou  wouldest  not. " 

"Inestimable  benefit,"  "inestimable  love,"  "all  our 
sins,  negligences,  and  ignorances,"  "  innumerable  benefits," 
"  and  that  we  may  obtain  our  petitions,  make  us  to  ask 
such  things  as  shall  please  Thee." 

The  above  and  similar  passages,  and  especially  all  those 
combinations  of  the  elements  of  the  language  which,  on 
account  of  the  structure  of  the  vocal  organs,  or  from  care- 
less habit,  each  individual  may  have  found  difficult  to  utter 
with  ease  and  distinctness,  should  be  resolutely  corrected 
by  frequent  repetition,  and  with  varied  uses  of  the  voice, 
until  the  desired  power  of  execution  is  acquired.  Steady 
practice  will  in  time  overcome  all  such  difficulties,  while 
protracted  neglect  may  result  in  confirming  nervous  and 
muscular  impediments,  wliich,  in  the  course  of  years  of  in- 
attention, will  be  likely  to  become  ineradicable. 

As  a  drill  exercise,  the  tables  of  elements,  syllables,  and 
words  in  "Vocal  Culture"  will  be  found  of  the  greatest 
value.  As  an  exercise  in  the  formation  of  the  vowel  sounds, 
the  repetition  of  the  sounds  beginning  with  e,  which  re- 
quires the  closest  position,  continuing  with  a,  which  directs 
the  breath  about  midway  in  the  mouth,  followed  by  alt, 
awe,  oh,  and  oo,  we  shall  find  all  the  spaces  filled  in  succes- 
sion from  the  front  of  the  mouth  to  the  larynx.    The  repe- 


34:  ELOCUTION. 

tition  with  vocal  effect,  beginning  with  e,  as  suggested,  and 
closing  with  oo,  and  then  repeating  inversely,  will  train  the 
ear  to  detect  the  changes  in  sound  and  the  voice  in  produc- 
ing them. 

The  forcible  articulation  with  rapid  repetitions  of  the 
sound  of  1),  g  hard,  and  d,  has  a  tendency  to  strengthen  the 
organs  for  articulation. 

Another  useful  drill  for  securing  distinctness  in  the 
articulation  is  to  separate  the  words  from  their  meaning 
by  repeating  them  in  inverse  order  in  the  sentences  in  which 
they  occur.  The  attention  is  thus  drawn  to  the  sound  of 
each  word,  so  that  the  syllables  are  not  liable  to  suffer  from 
the  divided  attention  which  is  given  to  the  meaning,  as 
they  stand  in  connected  order 

These  and  similar  exercises,  if  persisted  in,  will  produce 
marked  results  in  the  course  of  a  few  weeks  of  joractice. 

The  passage  from  the  Acts,  containing  so  many  repeti- 
tions of  the  word  and,  is  a  useful  study  for  distinctness  in 
articulating  this  word.  The  author  recalls  the  reading  of 
this  portion  of  Scripture  where  the  reader  failed  to  articu- 
late a  single  and  distinctly  : 

"And  certain  men  which  came  down  from  Judea  taught 
the  brethren,  and  said,  Except  ye  be  circumcised  after  the 
manner  of  Moses,  ye  cannot  be  saved.  When  therefore 
Paul  and  Barnabas  had  no  small  dissension  and  disputation 
with  them,  they  determined  that  Paul  and  Barnabas,  and 
certain  other  of  them,  should  go  up  to  Jerusalem  unto  the 
apostles  and  elders  about  this  question.  And  being  brought 
on  their  way  by  the  church,  they  passed  through  Phenice 
and  Samaria,  declaring  the  conversion  of  the  Gentiles  :  and 
they  caused  great  joy  unto  all  the  brethren. 

''And  when  they  were  come  to  Jerusalem,  they  were 
received  of  the  church,  and  of  the  apostles  and  elders,  and 
they  declared  all  things  that  God  had  done  with  them. 
But  there  rose  up  certain  of  the  sect  of  the  Pharisees  which 
believed,  saying,  That  it  was  needful  to  circumcise  them. 


auticulatiok 


35 


and  to  command  them  to  keep  the  law  of  Moses.  And 
the  ajiostles  and  elders  came  together  for  to  consider  of  this 
matter.  And  when  there  had  been  much  disputing,  Peter 
rose  up,  and  said  unto  them.  Men  and  brethren,  ye  know 
how  that  a  good  while  ago  God  made  choice  among  us,  that 
the  Gentiles  by  my  mouth  should  hear  the  word  of  the 
gospel,  and  believe.  And  God,  which  knoweth  the  hearts, 
bare  them  witness,  giving  them  the  Holy  Ghost,  even  as 
he  did  unto  us  ;  and  put  no  difference  between  us  and  them, 
purifying  their  hearts  by  faith. " — Acts,  xv,  1-9. 

Great  benefit  may  be  derived  from  drill  upon  the  ele- 
ments of  the  language,  classified  for  practice  with  refer- 
ence to  vocal  exercise,  in  the  following  table  : 


Tonics. 

StTBTONICS. 

Atonic 

1. 

A,     AW. 

L,    Lull. 

P, 

Pi^e. 

A,     Arm. 

M,    Malm. 

T, 

Tent. 

A,     An. 

iV",    M\Ji. 

C  and  E, 

Cake. 

E,      Eyq. 

R,    7?ap. 

F, 

Fife. 

00,  Ooze. 

R,    Far. 

Oand/S', 

Cease. 

00,  Look. 

Ng,  S'uig. 

H, 

He. 

E,     EvY. 

B,    Babe. 

Th, 

Thin. 

E,     Endi. 

D,    Did. 

Sh, 

Pus/i. 

I,      In. 

G,     Gag. 

Ch, 

Church. 

At,    Air. 

V,    Falve. 

U,     U]). 

Z,     Zone. 

■^ 

0,      Or. 

Z,     A2;ure. 

0,      On. 

Y,    Ye. 

A,     Ale. 

W,    Woe. 

I,      Ice. 

Th,  Then. 

0,     Old. 

J,     Joy. 

Ou,   Our. 


36  ELOCUTION. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

DELIVERY    OF   THE   YOICE. — MODE    OF   UTTERANCE. 

If  the  sj)eaker  were  to  deliver  his  sentences  with  the  in- 
tention of  making  them  heard  by  the  most  distant  person 
in  the  house,  as  though  he  were  addressing  him  personally, 
and  very  much  as  he  would  do  if  he  were  requesting  such 
a  hearer  to  open  the  window,  close  the  door,  call  the  sex- 
ton, or  the  like,  he  would  secure  the  right  idea  of  the 
proper  poising  or  projecting  of  the  yoice.  In  the  strong- 
est form  of  such  a  delivery  we  should  find  the  sustained 
force  of  the  calling  voice.  This  is  useful  as  a  drill  exer- 
cise ;  but  the  speaker  is  not  a  "caller,"  in  the  use  of  his 
vocal  organs.  It  is  simply  referred  to  here  as  the  nat- 
ural direction  for  the  suggestive  ideal  of  the  delivery  which 
is  to  fill  the  building.  It  is  to  give  the  power  of  throwing 
out  or  projecting  the  voice  into  the  house,  remembering 
that,  if  we  make  the  most  distant  person  hear,  our  words 
will  be  audible  to  all  others  in  the  room.  The  empty- 
voiced,  inaudible  speaker  is  not  necessarily  one  of  weak  or- 
ganization, for  the  weak  voice  of  a  child  will  often  fill  a 
large  auditorium  with  most  unwelcome  clearness.  But  he 
fails  to  throw  out  the  voice,  like  that  of  the  classical  hero,  or 
Macbeth's  *' Amen,"  which  stuck  in  his  throat.  The  sound 
seems  to  be  caught,  and  unable  to  get  forth  from  the  speaker's 
lijjs.  It  is  not  the  retention  of  the  breath,  but  its  delivery  ; 
it  is  not  suppression,  but  literally  ea;-pression  of  the  voice, 
at  which  the  speaker  aims.  This  is  the  ideal  of  all  heraldic 
effect,  to  lift  up  the  voice  without  fear,  and  boldly  to  deliver 
the  message  of  the  King.  And  it  is  the  function  of  public 
speaking,  as  distinguished  from  the  retention  of  the  breath 
in  conversation.  This  effort  of  throwing  out  the  voice  re- 
quires a  strong  action  of  the  expulsory  muscles,  and  is  prop- 
erly termed  expulsive  utterance.  The  exercises  given  below 
are  for  expulsive  delivery  of  the  breath  in  the  expression. 


MODE  OF  UTTERANCE.  37 

Morning  Hymn  to  Mont  Blanc. — Coleridge. 
*'  Thou  too,  hoar  Mount  !  with  thy  sky-pointing  peaks. 
Oft  from  whose  feet  tlie  avalanche,  unheard. 
Shoots  downward,  glittering  through  the  pure  serene 
Into  the  depth  of  clouds  that  veil  thy  breast — 
Thou  too,  again,  stupendous  Mountain  !  thou 
That  as  I  raise  my  head,  awhile  bowed  low 
In  adoration,  upward  from  thy  base 
Slow  traveling  with  dim  eyes  suffused  with  tears, 
Solemnly  seemest,  like  a  vapory  cloud, 
To  rise  before  me — Rise,  O  ever  rise, 
Rise  like  a  cloud  of  incense,  from  the  Earth  I 
Thou  kingly  Spirit  throned  among  the  hills. 
Thou  dread  ambassador  from  Earth  to  Heaven, 
Great  hierarch  !  tell  thou  the  silent  sky. 
And  tell  the  stars,  and  tell  yon  rising  sun, 
Earth,  with  her  thousand  voices,  praises  God  ! " 

In  contrast  with  this  energetic  delivery  we  find  that 
more  tranquil  expression  which  befits  the  unimj^assioned, 
profound  depths  of  quiet  feeling,  the  serenity  of  composed 
states  of  heart  and  mind,  or  the  gentler  and  more  tender 
emotions.  This  is  the  chastened  utterance  appropriate  to 
the  expression  of  prayer.  The  delivery  of  the  breath  is 
a  gentle  effusion,  without  impulsive  energy,  and  flows  as 
evenly  as  the  undisturbed  current  of  a  stream.  In  all  cases 
where  this  mode  of  utterance  is  naturally  required,  the  pre- 
ceding style  of  expulsion  will  be  utterly  destructive  to  the 
vocal  expression  of  the  feeling.  All  the  charm  of  this  style 
depends  upon  the  equable  flow  and  even  pressure  of  the 
sound. 

Evening  in  the  Grave-yard. 

"I've  seen  the  moon  climb  the  mountain's  brow, 
I've  watched  the  mists  o'er  the  river  stealing. 
But  ne'er  did  I  feel  in  my  breast,  till  now. 
So  deep,  so  calm,  and  so  holy  a  feeling  : 


38  ELOCUTION. 

'Tis  soft  as  the  thrill  which  memory  throws 
Athwart  the  soul  in  the  hour  of  repose. 

*'  Thou  Father  of  all !  in  the  worlds  of  light, 
Fain  would  my  soul  aspire  to  Thee  ; 
And,  through  the  scenes  of  this  gentle  night, 

Behold  the  dawn  of  Eternity  : 
For  this  is  the  path  which  Thou  hast  giyen — 
The  only  path  to  the  bliss  of  heaven." 

The  more  violent  and  excited  states  of  feeling  call  for 
explosive  utterance  of  the  syllables.  It  is  the  clear,  abrupt 
shock  given  to  the  sound  which  results  from  the  strongest 
muscular  pressure  brought  to  bear  upon  the  organs,  and 
through  which  occlusions  the  impetuosity  of  the  feeling 
bursts  its  way.  The  percussion  which  is  produced  by  this 
muscular  action  strengthens  the  vocal  delivery,  and  sum- 
mons the  full  power  of  expression  to  instantaneous  action. 
It  bursts  upon  the  ear  with  a  startling,  electric  effect,  and 
is  one  of  the  results  to  be  secured  by  patient  practice.  The 
student,  while  avoiding  gentle  effusion,  should  also  pass 
beyond  the  more  energetic  expulsion  to  the  abruptness  and 
percussion  of  this  bolder  style  of  explosive  expression.  It 
is  a  power  very  seldom  called  into  play  in  the  pulpit,  but, 
when  required  by  the  emergency  of  some  excited  feeling, 
or  some  terse,  pointed  emphasis  of  thought,  should  be  pre- 
pared to  respond  to  the  demands  of  the  speaker  and  his 

theme. 

"  On,  ye  brave, 

Who  rush  to  glory  and  the  grave  ! 

Wave,  Munich,  all  thy  banners  wave. 

And  charge  with  all  thy  cavalry  ! 

*'  Strike  till  the  last  armed  foe  expires, 
Strike  for  your  altars  and  your  fires. 
Strike  for  the  green  graves  of  your  sires, 
God,  and  your  native  land  !  '* 


THE   VOICE.  39 

CHAPTER  V. 

THE    VOICE. — QUALITY. 

It  is  a  well-established  theory  that  the  organs  of  the 
voice  form  a  reed  instrument,  the  trachea  and  larynx  cor- 
responding to  the  tube,  and  the  vocal  chords  to  the  reeds. 
The  air,  already  vibrating  by  its  movement  from  the  dis- 
tant air-cells,  and  gathering  volume  in  its  course,  be- 
comes compressed  at  the  vocal  chords.  It  is  at  this  moment 
that  the  column  of  breath,  passing  over  the  vibrating  chords, 
set  in  motion  by  the  pressure,  has  intensity  added  to  its 
motion,  and  produces  sound.  By  the  combined  tension  or 
relaxation  of  the  vocal  chords  it  is  modified  as  acute  or 
grave,  and  is  furthermore  rendered  high  or  low  in  pitch, 
soft  or  loud  in  force,  full  or  attenuated,  according  to  the 
nature  of  the  feeling  expressed,  or  the  will  of  the  speaker. 
The  sound  is  mechanically  produced  by  the  position  of  the 
larynx,  moved  by  its  controlling  muscles,  the  depression  or 
elevation  of  the  tongue,  or  uvula,  or  both,  and  by  the  direc- 
tion of  the  breath  upward  into  the  head  or  roof  of  the 
mouth,  into  the  cheeks,  or  against  the  tip  of  the  tongue. 
The  quality  of  a  good,  manly  voice  is  naturally  pure, 
smooth,  round,  and  full.  It  is  morally  expressive  and 
sympathetic,  and  physically  flexible  and  varied  in  sound. 
A  defective  voice  is  aspirated,  harsh,  sharp,  or  wiry,  and 
in  some  voices  all  these  faults  are  combined.  It  is, 
furthermore,  unsympathetic  and  monotonous  in  delivery. 
The  speaker  should  test  the  quality  of  his  voice  so  as  to 
satisfy  himself  that  it  possesses  no  defect  which  he  can 
remedy.  It  is  well,  therefore,  to  drill  the  voice  with  refer- 
ence to  the  various  elements  of  excellence.  The  following 
exercises  will  serve  both  to  establish  a  standard  of  compari- 
son and  to  shape  the  voice  in  agreement  with  it. 

I.  In  order  to  cultivate  purity  of  sound,  deep  and  free 
breathing  is  almost  a  necessity.     In  reading  the  extracts 


40  ELOCUTION. 

below,  let  the  greatest  effort  be  made  to  produce  a  yoice 
absolutely  clear  and  pure  in  sound.  Any  particle  of  breath 
which  is  not  vocalized  injures  the  effect,  and,  when  exces- 
sive, fairly  smothers  the  voice.  Practice  upon  the  words 
"  ptire^'  and  '^  clear, ^'  on  various  keys,  and  with  varying 
degrees  of  force,  until  they  suggest  to  the  mind  what  they 
name.  The  reading  of  poetry,  where  there  is  no  strongly 
excited  feeling,  is  a  help  to  the  development  of  purity  of 
tone.  The  gentleness  of  feeling  contained  in  the  extract 
following  suggests  the  lighter  and  purer  uses  of  the  voice  : 

1.    Tlie  Sleep. — Mrs.  Broiuning. 

*'  Of  all  the  thoughts  of  God  that  are 

Borne  inward  unto  souls  afar. 

Along  the  Psalmist's  music  deep — 

Now  tell  me  if  there  any  is, 

For  gift  or  grace,  surpassing  this — 

'  He  giveth  His  beloved  sleep  '  ? 
"  What  would  we  give  to  our  beloved  ? 

The  hero's  heart,  to  be  unmoved — 

The  poet's  star-tuned  harp,  to  sweep — 

The  senate's  shout  to  patriot  vows — 

The  monarch's  crown,  to  light  the  brows  ? 

'  He  giveth  His  beloved  sleep.' 

**  "What  do  we  give  to  our  beloved  ? 

A  little  faith,  all  undisproved — 

A  little  dust,  to  overweep — 

And  bitter  memories,  to  make 

The  whole  earth  blasted  for  our  sake  ! 

'He  giveth  His  beloved  sleep.' 
** '  Sleep  soft,  beloved  ! '  we  sometimes  say. 

But  have  no  tune  to  charm  away 

Sad  dreams  that  through  the  eyelids  creep ; 

But  never  doleful  dream  again 

Shall  break  the  happy  slumber,  when 

*  He  giveth  His  beloved  sleep.'  " 


QUALITY.  41 

In  the  example  below,  as  the  expression  is  that  of  mere 

mtellectual  communication,  the  light  voice  of  the  head, 

or  pure  tone,  is  the  natural  quality  for  the  reading  of  the 

extract : 

2.    Of  Studies. — Bacon. 

"  Read  not  to  contradict  and  confute,  nor  to  believe 
and  take  for  granted,  nor  to  find  talk  and  discourse,  but 
to  weigh  and  consider.  Some  books  are  to  be  tasted, 
others  to  be  swallowed,  and  some  few  to  be  chewed  and 
digested ;  that  is,  some  books  are  to  be  read  only  in  parts ; 
others  to  be  read,  but  not  curiously ;  and  some  few  to  be 
read  wholly,  and  with  diligence  and  attention.  Some 
books  also  may  be  read  by  deputy,  and  extracts  made  of 
them  by  others  ;  but  that  would  be  only  in  the  less  impor- 
tant arguments  and  the  meaner  sort  of  books ;  else  dis- 
tilled books  are,  like  common  distilled  waters,  flashy  things. 
Eeading  maketh  a  full  man  ;  conference  a  ready  man  ;  and 
writing  an  exact  man  ;  and,  therefore,  if  a  man  write  little, 
he  had  need  have  a  great  memory ;  if  he  confer  little,  he 
had  need  have  a  present  wit ;  and  if  he  read  little,  he  had 
need  have  much  cunning,  to  seem  to  know  that  he  doth 
not." 

The  following  sentences  from  the  Daily  Service,  being 
explanatory,  and  therefore  intellectual  rather  than  emo- 
tional, require  the  use  of  the  head  tone  : 

3.  "  When  the  wicked  man  turneth  away  from  his 
wickedness  that  he  hath  committed,  and  doeth  that  which 
is  lawful  and  right,  he  shall  save  his  soul  alive." 

4.  "If  we  say  that  we  have  no  sin,  we  deceive  our- 
selves, and  the  truth  is  not  in  us ;  but  if  we  confess  our 
sins,  God  is  faithful  and  just  to  forgive  us  our  sins,  and  to 
cleanse  us  from  all  unrighteousness." 

The  Preface  to  Confirmation  being  a  simple  statement 
(originally  a  rubric),  is  sufficiently  expressed  with  purity 
of  tone. 


42  ELOCUTION. 

Preface  to  Confirmation. 

5.  "  To  the  end  that  Confirmation  may  be  administered 
to  the  more  edifying  of  such  as  shall  receive  it,  the  Clinrch 
liatli  thought  good  to  order,  That  none  shall  be  confirmed 
but  such  as  can  say  the  Creed,  the  Lord's  Prayer,  and  the 
Ten  Commandments  ;  and  can  also  answer  to  such  other 
Questions  as  in  the  Short  Catechism  are  contained  :  which 
order  is  very  convenient  to  be  observed  ;  to  the  end, 
that  children,  being  now  come  to  the  years  of  discre- 
tion, and  having  learned  what  their  Godfathers  and  God- 
mothers promised  for  them  in  Baptism,  may  themselves, 
with  their  own  mouth  and  consent,  openly  before  the 
Church,  ratify  and  confirm  the  same  ;  and  also  promise, 
that,  by  the  grace  of  God,  they  will  evermore  endeavor 
themselves  faithfully  to  observe  such  things  as  they,  by  their 
own  confession,  have  assented  unto." 

The  tranquillity  and  simplicity  of  the  feeling  expressed 
in  the  twenty-third  Psalm  find  their  natural  expression 
through  the  medium  of  pure  tone. 

6.  ''The  Lord  is  my  shepherd;  therefore  can  I  lack 
nothing.  He  shall  feed  me  in  a  green  pasture,  and  lead  me 
forth  beside  the  waters  of  comfort.  He  shall  convert  my 
soul,  and  bring  me  forth  in  the  paths  of  righteousness  for 
his  Name's  sake.  Yea,  though  I  walk  through  the  valley 
of  the  shadow  of  death,  I  will  fear  no  evil ;  for  thou  art 
with  me  ;  thy  rod  and  thy  staff  comfort  me.  Thou  shalt 
prepare  a  table  before  me  against  them  that  trouble  me  ; 
thou  hast  anointed  my  head  with  oil,  and  my  cup  shall  be 
full.  But  thy  loving  kindness  and  mercy  shall  follow  me 
all  the  days  of  my  life ;  and  I  will  dwell  in  the  house  of 
the  Lord  for  ever." — Psalm  xxiii. 

The  tenderness  of  the  reverential  feeling  and  the  ex- 
pressive sympathy  of  the  three  opening  verses  of  the  sixty- 
first  chapter  of  the  Prophecy  of  Isaiah,  find  expression 
naturally  through  the  head-voice,  as  fullness  and  weight  of 


QUALITY.  43 

sound  would  be  destructive  to  the  tenderness  and  sympathy 
of  the  entire  passage. 

7.  "  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  God  is  upon  me  ;  because 
the  Lord  hath  anointed  me  to  preach  good  tidings  unto  the 
meek  ;  he  hath  sent  me  to  bind  up  the  broken-hearted,  to 
proclaim  liberty  to  the  captives,  and  the  opening  of  the 
prison  to  them  that  are  bound ;  to  proclaim  the  acceptable 
year  of  the  Lord,  and  the  day  of  vengeance  of  our  God ; 
to  comfort  all  that  mourn  ;  to  api^oint  unto  them  that 
mourn  in  Zion,  to  give  unto  them  beauty  for  ashes,  the  oil 
of  joy  for  mourning,  the  garment  of  praise  for  the  spirit 
of  heaviness  ;  that  they  might  be  called  trees  of  righteous- 
ness, the  2)lanting  of  the  Lord,  that  he  might  be  glorified." 

The  simplicity  and  familiarity  of  the  style  of  the  Scrip- 
tural narrative  in  the  ninth  chapter  of  St.  John's  Gospel, 
demand  pure  tone. 

8.  "And  as  Jesus  passed  by,  he  saw  a  man  which  was 
blind  from  his  birth.  And  his  disciples  asked  him,  saying. 
Master,  who  did  sin,  this  man,  or  his  parents,  that  he  was 
born  blind  ?  Jesus  answered,  Neither  hath  this  man  sinned, 
nor  his  parents  :  but  that  the  works  of  God  should  be  made 
manifest  in  him.  I  must  work  the  works  of  him  that  sent 
me,  while  it  is  day  :  the  night  cometh,  when  no  man  can 
work.  As  long  as  I  am  in  the  world,  I  am  the  light  of  the 
world.  When  he  had  thus  spoken,  he  spat  on  the  ground, 
and  made  clay  of  the  spittle,  and  he  anointed  the  eyes  of 
the  blind  man  with  the  clay,  and  said  unto  him.  Go,  wash 
in  the  pool  of  Siloam,  (which  is  by  interpretation.  Sent). 
He  went  his  way  therefore,  and  washed,  and  came  seeing. 
The  neighbors  therefore,  and  they  which  before  had  seen 
him  that  he  was  blind,  said.  Is  not  this  he  that  sat  and 
begged  ?  Some  said.  This  is  he  :  others  said,  lie  is  like 
him  :  but  he  said,  I  am  he.  Therefore  said  they  unto  him, 
IIow  were  thine  eyes  opened  ?  He  answered  and  said,  A 
man  that  is  called  Jesus  made  clay,  and  anointed  mine  eyes, 
and  said  unto  me.  Go  to  the  pool  of  Siloam,  and  wash  : 


44  ELOCUTION. 

and  I  went  and  washed,  and  I  received  sight.  Then  said 
they  unto  him,  Where  is  he  ?  He  said,  I  know  not." — St. 
John,  ix.,  1-12. 

The  pathetic  pleading  of  Judah  before  Joseph  finds  its 
emotional  expression  in  the  same  tendency  to  head-voice,  or 
piire  tone. 

9.  ''And  Judah  said.  What  shall  we  say  unto  my  lord  ? 
what  shall  we  speak  ?  or  how  shall  we  clear  ourselves  ? 
God  hath  found  out  the  iniquity  of  thy  servants  :  behold, 
we  are  my  lord's  servants,  both  we,  and  he  also  with  whom 
the  cup  is  found.  And  he  said,  God  forbid  that  I  should 
do  so  :  but  the  man  in  whose  hand  the  cup  is  found,  he 
shall  be  my  servant ;  and  as  for  you,  get  you  up  in  peace 
unto  your  father.  Then  Judah  came  near  unto  him,  and 
said,  0  my  lord,  let  thy  servant,  I  pray  thee,  speak  a  word 
in  my  lord's  ears,  and  let  not  thine  anger  burn  against  thy 
servant  :  for  thou  art  even  as  Pharaoh.  My  lord  asked  his 
servants,  saying,  Have  ye  a  father,  or  a  brother  ?  And  we 
said  unto  my  lord,  We  have  a  father,  an  old  man,  and  a 
child  of  his  old  age,  a  little  one  ;  and  his  brother  is  dead, 
and  he  alone  is  left  of  his  mother,  and  his  father  loveth 
him.  And  thou  saidst  unto  thy  servants,  Bring  him  down 
unto  me,  that  I  may  set  mine  eyes  upon  him.  And  we  said 
unto  my  lord.  The  lad  can  not  leave  his  father  :  for  if  he 
should  leave  his  father,  his  father  would  die.  And  thou 
saidst  unto  thy  servants,  Except  your  youngest  brother  come 
down  with  you,  ye  shall  see  my  face  no  more.  And  it  came 
to  pass  when  we  came  up  unto  thy  servant  my  father,  we 
told  him  the  words  of  my  lord.  And  our  father  said.  Go 
again,  and  buy  us  a  little  food.  And  we  said.  We  can  not 
go  down  :  if  our  youngest  brother  be  with  us,  then  will  we 
go  down  :  for  we  may  not  see  the  man's  face,  except  our 
youngest  brother  be  with  us.  And  thy  servant  my  father 
said  unto  us.  Ye  know  that  my  wife  bare  me  two  sons  : 
and  the  one  went  out  from  me,  and  I  said,  Surely  he  is 
torn  in  pieces ;  and  I  saw  him  not  since  :  and  if  ye  take 


QUALITY.  45 

this  also  from  me,  and  mischief  befall  him,  ye  shall  bring 
down  my  gray  hairs  with  sorrow  to  the  grave.  Now  therefore 
when  I  come  to  thy  servant  my  father,  and  the  lad  be  not 
with  us  ;  seeing  that  his  life  is  bound  up  in  tlie  lad's  life  ; 
it  shall  come  to  pass,  when  he  seeth  that  the  lad  is  not  with 
us,  that  he  will  die  :  and  thy  servants  shall  briug  down  the 
gray  hairs  of  thy  servant  our  father  with  sorrow  to  the 
grave.  For  thy  servant  became  surety  for  the  lad  unto  my 
father,  saying.  If  I  bring  him  not  unto  thee,  then  I  shall 
bear  the  blame  to  my  father  for  ever.  Now  therefore,  I 
pray  thee,  let  thy  servant  abide  instead  of  the  lad  a  bond- 
man to  my  lord  ;  and  let  the  lad  go  ujj  with  his  brethren. 
For  how  shall  I  go  up  to  my  father,  and  the  lad  be  not 
with  me  ?  lest  peradventure  I  see  the  evil  that  shall  come 
on  my  father." — Gen.  xliv.,  16-34. 

II.  The  directions  for  breathing  correctly  given  under 
"  purity  "  should  be  repeated  here,  and  in  practice  the  ear 
should  be  satisfied  that  the  voice  flows  out  as  an  undisturbed 
stream,  with  no  throbbing  or  vibration,  no  broken  frag- 
ments of  sound,  but  all  merged  in  a  tone  flowing  smoothly 
as  oil.  Practice  or  repeat  the  word  '^  smooth"  until  it 
sounds  with  the  quality  which  it  names.  Repeat  several 
times  the  sound  of  '^  oo  "  with  varied  key  and  force,  as 
above. 

Any  degree  of  harshness  or  roughness  of  the  voice  in 
this  extract  would  destroy  the  subdued  tranquillity  of  the 
composure  of  the  feeling.  Hence  its  use  for  practice  in 
smoothness  of  tone. 

1.  Invocation  to  Evening.  —  Coiuper. 

*'Come,  Evening,  once  again,  season  of  peace  ; 
lleturn,  sweet  Evening,  and  continue  long  ! 
Methinks  I  see  thee  in  the  streaky  west. 
With  matron  step  slow  moving,  while  the  night 
Treads  on  thy  sweeping  train  ;  one  hand  employed 
In  letting  fall  the  curtain  of  repose 


46  ELOCUTION. 

On  bird  and  beast  ;  the  other,  charged  for  man 
With  sweet  oblivion  of  the  cares  of  day  ; 
Not  sumptuously  adorned,  nor  needing  aid. 
Like  homely-featured  Night,  of  clustering  gems  ; 
A  star  or  two  just  twinkling  on  thy  brow 
Suffices  thee  ;  save  that  the  moon  is  thine 
Not  less  than  hers,  not  worn,  indeed,  on  high. 
With  ostentatious  pageantry,  but  set 
With  modest  grandeur  in  thy  purple  zone, 
Eesplendent  less,  but  of  an  amj^ler  round — 
Come,  then  ;  and  thou  shalt  find  thy  votary  calm. 
Or  make  me  so.     Composure  is  thy  gift." 

The  tenderness  and  solemnity  expressed  in  the  next  pas- 
sage require  smoothness  to  give  it  its  best  exjjression. 

2.  From    The  New  Priest  in    Conceftion   Bay. — Robert 

T.  S.  Loiuell. 

"  Mrs.  Barre  lived  on  nobly,  where  the  noblest  part  of 
her  life  had  been.  Once,  on  a  pleasant  summer's  day,  after 
no  wasting  or  weakening  or  dependence,  when  her  time 
came,  her  life  went  out,  as  a  star  is  lost  in  the  day. 

"  She  laid  herself  down  at  evening  ;  bid  her  maids  stay 
with  her  a  little  while  ; — by  and  by  sent  quietly  for  the  min- 
ister ;  joined  with  her  voice  in  the  Church  prayers,  lay  still, 
with  soft  breathing  ; — and  the  other  Christians,  priestly  and 
lay,  gentle  and  simple,  breathed  softly  by  her  bedside,  while 
the  sound  of  waves  breaking  upon  the  far-off  sand  came 
in,  and  moonlight  and  shade  lay  calmly  side  by  side  out  of 
doors.  Once  she  opened  her  eyes  upward,  saying  through 
the  stillness,  'Yes,'  as  if  in  answer;  turned  partly  with  a 
bright  smile  to  her  friends  ;  then  shut  the  lids  down  softly 
for  the  last  time,  and  so,  with  a  fair  veil  of  smile  hung  over 
the  dead  features,  left  her  body  there  to  be  put  away,  until 
it  shall  be  raised  in  new  beauty,  to  walk  upon  the  new  earth." 

The  sympathy  and  the  benedictory  character  of   the 


QUALITY.  4:7 

twentieth.  Psalm  call  naturally  for  the  same  smoothness  in 
sound  as  above. 

3.  "The  Lord  hear  thee  in  the  day  of  trouble  ;  the 
Name  of  the  God  of  Jacob  defend  thee :  send  thee  help 
from  the  sanctuary,  and  strensfthen  thee  out  of  Sion  :  re- 
member  all  thy  offerings,  and  accept  thy  burnt-sacrifice  : 
grant  thee  thy  heart's  desire,  and  fulfill  all  thy  mind.  We 
will  rejoice  in  thy  salvation,  and  triumph  in  the  Name  of 
the  Lord  our  God  :  the  Lord  perform  all  thy  petitions." — 
Psalm  XX.,  1-5. 

All  benedictory  expression  requires  smoothness  for  its 
effective  utterance,  hence  the  illustration  of  the  Beatitudes. 

4.  "And  he  opened  his  mouth,  and  taught  them,  say- 
ing. Blessed  are  the  poor  in  spirit :  for  theirs  is  the  king- 
dom of  heaven.  Blessed  are  they  that  mourn :  for  they 
shall  be  comforted.  Blessed  are  the  meek  :  for  they  shall 
inherit  the  earth.  Blessed  are  they  which  do  hunger  and 
thirst  after  righteousness  :  for  they  shall  be  filled.  Blessed 
are  the  merciful :  for  they  shall  obtain  mercy.  Blessed  are 
the  pure  in  heart :  for  they  shall  see  God.  Blessed  are  the 
peacemakers  :  for  they  shall  be  called  the  children  of  God. 
Blessed  are  they  which  are  persecuted  for  righteousness' 
sake  :  for  theirs  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  Blessed  are 
ye,  when  men  shall  revile  you,  and  persecute  you,  and  shall 
say  all  manner  of  evil  against  you  falsely,  for  my  sake, 
liejoice,  and  be  exceeding  glad  :  for  gi-eat  is  your  reward 
in  heaven  :  for  so  persecuted  they  the  prophets  which  were 
before  you."— St.  Matt,  v.,  2-12. 

The  Exhortation  following  the  Gospel  in  the  Baptismal 
Service  furnishes  a  marked  use  of  the  expressive  smoothness 
of  voice. 

5.  "Beloved,  ye  hear  in  this  Gospel  the  words  of  our 
Saviour  Christ,  that  he  commanded  the  children  to  be 
brought  unto  him  ;  how  he  blamed  those  who  would  have 
kept  them  from  him  ;  how  he  exhorteth  all  men  to  follow 
their  innocency.     Ye  perceive  how,  by  his  outward  gesture 


48  ELOCUTION. 

and  deed,  he  declared  liis  good  will  toward  tliem  ;  for  lie 
embraced  tliem  in  his  arms,  he  laid  his  hands  upon  them, 
and  blessed  them.  Doubt  ye  not  therefore,  but  earnestly 
believe,  that  he  will  likewise  favorably  receive  this  present 
Infant ;  that  he  will  embrace  him  with  the  arms  of  his 
mercy ;  that  he  will  give  unto  him  the  blessing  of  eternal 
life,  and  make  him  partaker  of  his  everlasting  kingdom." 

Further  Examples. 

Third  Sentence :  "  Let  the  words  of  my  mouth,  and  the 
meditation  of  my  heart,  be  alway  acceptable  in  thy  sight, 
0  Lord,  my  strength  and  my  redeemer." 

Ninth  Sentence:  ''To  the  Lord  our  God  belong  mer- 
cies and  forgivenesses,  though  we  have  rebelled  against 
him ;  neither  have  we  obeyed  the  voice  of  the  Lord  our 
God,  to  walk  in  his  laws  which  he  set  before  us." 

III.  By  uttering  the  word  "round,"  and  contrasting  its 
tone  with  that  of  the  delicate,  descriptive  utterance  of  the 
word  "jDure,"  we  note  that  there  is  a  fullness  of  reso- 
nance in  the  throat,  mouth,  and  pharynx,  in  pronouncing 
the  former  ;  that  in  the  word  "pure,"  uttered  as  suggested, 
would  be  more  confined  to  the  mouth.  The  fullest  vibra- 
tion in  the  chest,  the  throat,  and  the  head-sounds,  which 
produces  the  round  voice,  is  termed  technically  the  orotund 
quality.  This  is  the  highest  excellence  of  the  cultivated 
voice.  It  is  the  natural  utterance  of  the  stronger,  deeper, 
and  more  energetic  feelings.  Sublimity,  grandeur,  majes- 
ty, praise,  and  similar  ideas,  find  their  expression  through 
this  voice.  Practice  upon  the  word  "round,"  so  as  to  give 
it  the  greatest  vibration  and  resonance. 

Let  the  utterance  convey  the  fullest  degree  of  sublimity 
in  Byron's  description  of  the  ocean. 

1.   The  Sea. — Lord  Byron. 

"  Eoll  on,  thou  deep  and  dark  blue  Ocean — roll ! 
Ten  thousand  fleets  sweep  over  thee  in  vain  ; 


QUALITY.  49 

Man  marks  the  eartli  with  ruin — his  control 

Stops  with  the  shore ;  upon  the  watery  plain 

The  wrecks  are  all  thy  deed,  nor  doth  remain 

A  shadow  of  man's  ravage,  save  his  own, 

When,  for  a  moment,  like  a  drop  of  rain. 

He  sinks  into  thy  dejjths  with  bubbling  groan, 

Without  a  grave,  unknelled,  uncofBned,  and  unknown. 

•  «  •  •  • 

Thou  glorious  mirror,  where  the  Almighty's  form 
Glasses  itself  in  tempests  ;  in  all  time — 
Calm  or  convulsed,  in  breeze,  or  gale,  or  storm. 
Icing  the  pole,  or  in  the  torrid  clime 
Dark-heaving — boundless,  endless,  and  sublime. 
The  image  of  eternity,  the  throne 
Of  the  invisible  ;  even  from  out  thy  slime 
The  monsters  of  the  deep  are  made  ;  each  zone 
Obeys  thee  ;    thou  goest  forth,    dread,    fathomless, 
alone." 

The  reading  of  the  passage  following  with  a  sharp,  thin, 
wiry  voice,  will  destroy  the  depth  and  majesty  of  the  feel- 
ing in  the  utterance.  Let  the  voice  be  well  rounded  out, 
and  no  such  defective  result  follows  : 

2.   The  Falls  of  Niagara. — Brainerd. 
"The  thoughts  are  strange  that  crowd  into  my  brain. 
While  I  look  upward  to  thee.     It  would  seem 
As  if  God  poured  thee  from  His  'hollow  hand,' 
And  hung  His  bow  upon  thine  awful  front ; 
And  spoke  in  that  loud  voice,  which  seemed  to  him 
Who  dwelt  in  Patmos  for  his  Saviour's  sake, 
*  The  sound  of  many  waters ' ;  and  had  bade 
Thy  flood  to  chronicle  the  ages  back. 
And  notch  His  cent'ries  in  the  eternal  rocks. 

"  Deep  calletli  unto  deep.     And  what  are  we 
That  hear  the  question  of  that  voice  sublime  ? 


50  ELOCUTION. 

0  !  what  are  all  the  notes  that  ever  rung 
From  war's  vain  trumpet,  by  thy  thundering  side  ? 
Yea,  what  is  all  the  riot  man  can  make 
In  his  short  life,  to  thy  unceasing  roar  ? 
And  yet,  bold  babbler,  what  art  thou  to  Him, 
Who  drowned  the  world,  and  heaped  the  waters  far 
Above  its  loftiest  mountains  ? — a  light  wave. 
That  breaks,  and  whispers  of  its  Maker's  might." 

In  grateful  and  joyous  exultation  "the  abundance  of 
the  heart "  speaks  in  well-rounded  utterance. 

3.  Ben&dicite,  omnia  opera  Domini. 

"0  all  ye  Works  of  the  Lord,  bless  ye  the  Lord  ;  praise 
him,  and  magnify  him  for  ever. 

*'0  ye  Angels  of  the  Lord,  bless  ye  the  Lord;  praise 
him,  and  magnify  him  for  ever. 

*'  0  ye  Heavens,  bless  ye  the  Lord ;  praise  him,  and 
magnify  him  for  ever. 

"  0  ye  Waters  that  be  above  the  firmament,  bless  ye  the 
Lord  ;  praise  him,  and  magnify  him  for  ever. 

"  0  all  ye  Powers  of  the  Lord,  bless  ye  the  Lord ;  praise 
him,  and  magnify  him  for  ever. 

"0  ye  Sun  and  Moon,  bless  ye  the  Lord ;  praise  him, 
and  magnify  him  for  ever. 

*'0  ye  Stars  of  Heaven,  bless  ye  the  Lord ;  praise  him, 
and  magnify  him  for  ever. 

*  ••••• 

"  0  ye  Mountains  and  Hills,  bless  ye  the  Lord ;  praise 
him,  and  magnify  him  for  ever. 

*  •  •  •  •  • 

"  0  ye  Seas  and  Floods,  bless  ye  the  Lord  ;  praise  him, 
and  magnify  him  for  ever. 

*  •  •  •  •  • 

"  0  let  Israel  bless  the  Lord  ;  praise  him,  and  magnify 
him  for  ever. 


QUALITY.  51 

''0  ye  Priests  of  the  Lord,  bless  ye  the  Lord ;  praise 
him,  and  magnify  him  for  ever. 

*'  0  ye  Servants  of  the  Lord,  bless  ye  the  Lord  ;  ji raise 
him,  and  magnify  him  for  ever." 

The  heraldic  effect  of  the  prophetic  passage  following 
is  given  expressively  with  the  same  quality  of  voice  as  above  : 

4.  "  Ho,  every  one  that  thirsteth,  come  ye  to  the  wa- 
ters, and  he  that  hath  no  money  ;  come  ye,  buy,  and  eat ; 
yea,  come,  buy  wine  and  milk  without  money  and  without 
price.  AVherefore  do  ye  spend  money  for  that  which  is  not 
bread  ?  and  your  labor  for  that  which  satisfieth  not  ?  hear- 
ken diligently  unto  me,  and  eat  ye  that  which  is  good,  and 
let  your  soul  delight  itself  in  fatness.  Incline  your  ear,  and 
come  unto  me  :  hear,  and  your  soul  shall  live ;  and  I  will 
make  an  everlasting  covenant  with  you,  even  the  sure  mer- 
cies of  David.  Behold,  I  have  given  him  for  a  witness  to 
the  people,  a  leader  and  commander  to  the  people.  Behold, 
thou  shalt  call  a  nation  that  thou  knowest  not,  and  nations 
that  knew  not  thee  shall  run  unto  thee,  because  of  the  Lord 
thy  God,  and  for  the  Holy  One  of  Israel ;  for  he  hath  glori- 
fied thee.  .  .  .  For  ye  shall  go  out  with  Joy,  and  be  led 
forth  with  peace  :  the  mountains  and  the  hills  shall  break 
forth  before  you  into  singing,  and  all  the  trees  of  the  field 
shall  clap  their  hands.  Instead  of  the  thorn  shall  come  up 
the  fir  tree,  and  instead  of  the  brior  shall  come  up  the 
myrtle  tree  :  and  it  shall  be  to  the  Lord  for  a  name,  for  an 
everlasting  sign  that  shall  not  be  cut  off." — Isaiah,  Iv.,  1-13. 

IV.  To  produce  "  fullness  "  m  perfection,  every  particle 
of  the  breath  must  be  vocalized,  and,  in  practicing,  the 
speaker  should  aim  at  a  deep  resonance  in  the  chest  as  one 
quality.  Clearness  and  fullness  in  the  ringing  effects  of 
pharyngeal  and  nasal  tones  are  more  apparent  at  other  times, 
and  the  voice'is  further  modified  by  the  mellowness  and 
softness  of  the  notes  in  the  throat,  or  rendered  pungent 
and  grasping  to  the  ear  by  the  guttural  tones,  or,  again, 
swelling  with  full  volume  into  the  cheeks,  as  in  the  sound 


52  ELOCUTION. 

of  "oo."  To  tliesG  different  qualities,  for  one  or  more  of 
whicli  the  uncnltivated  voice  is  generally  noticeable,  may  be 
added  the  delicate  finish  of  the  sounds  formed  in  the  front 
part  of  the  mouth  by  the  tip  of  the  tongue  and  lips,  which, 
when  excessive,  become  the  affected  simpering  of  the  ex- 
quisite. But,  in  the  well-developed  and  flexible  voice,  each 
may  be  called  forth  at  will — the  gravity  and  base  of  the 
manly  chest-notes,  the  healthful  resonance,  the  agreeable 
mellowing,  the  incisive  pungency,  the  fullness  and  finish, 
which  are  each  fitly  demanded  in  public  speaking.  Vari- 
ous directions  might  be  added  to  accurately  test  the  differ- 
ent qualities,  but  the  ear  of  the  speaker  will  soon  determine 
them  naturally  and  easily.  It  may  be  noted,  however,  that 
in  the  chest-tones  the  vibrations  should  be  perceptibly  felt. 
These  elements,  rightly  balanced  and  perfected,  will  com- 
pose the  good,  expressive  voice. 

Natural  transitions  from  one  quality  to  another,  in  close 
contrast,  are  often  very  appropriate  and  expressive — e.  g., 
in  St.  Paul's  statements,  in  I.  Cor.  xv.,  relating  to  the  per- 
ishable body,  we  have  the  simple  declarations  in  the  head- 
voice  ;  the  contrasted  clauses  following,  suggestive  of  the 
might  and  the  glory  of  the  triumph  over  the  mortal  and 
the  corruptible,  would  be  read  naturally  with  a  round  and 
full  voice,  which  suggests  the  change  in  the  nature  of  the 
two  passages. 

1.  *'  It  is  sown  in  eorrujDtion  ;  it  is  raised  in  incorrup- 
tion  :  it  is  sown  in  dishonor ;  it  is  raised  in  glory  :  it  is  sown 
in  weakness  ;  it  is  raised  in  power  :  it  is  sown  a  natural 
body  ;  it  is  raised  a  spiritual  body." — I.  Cor.  xv.,  43,  44. 

The  sublimity  of  the  feeling  in  the  passage  below  will 
only  be  expressed  by  suggestive  fullness  of  voice: 

2.  Angelic  Worsldp. — Milton. 

"  No  sooner  had  the  Almighty  ceased,  but  all 
The  multitude  of  angels  with  a  shout, 
Loud  as  from  numbers  without  number,  sweet, 


QUALITY.  53 

As  from  blest  voices  uttering  Joy  ; — heaven  rung 

With  Jubilee,  and  loud  hosannas  filled 

The  eternal  regions  ; — lowly  reverent, 

Toward  either  throne  they  bow  ;  and  to  the  ground, 

With  solemn  adoration,  down  they  cast 

Their  crowns,  inwove  with  amaranth  and  gold. 

Then  crowned  again,  their  golden  harps  they  took — 

Harps  ever  tuned — that,  glittering  by  their  side, 

Like  quivers  hung,  and  with  preamble  sweet 

Of  charming  symphony,  they  introduce 

Their  sacred  song,  and  waken  raptures  high." 

The  glorious  and  triumphant  vision  of  the  prophet 
Isaiah,  recorded  in  the  sixtieth  chapter,  prompts  the  great- 
est fullness  of  voice,  in  order  to  suggest  the  majesty  and 
glory  of  the  spiritual  conquest  of  the  Gentile  world. 

3.  "  Arise,  shine  ;  for  thy  light  is  come,  and  the  glory 
of  the  Lord  is  risen  upon  thee.  For,  behold,  the  darkness 
shall  cover  the  earth,  and  gross  darkness  the  peoj^le :  but 
the  Lord  shall  arise  upon  thee,  and  his  glory  shall  be  seen 
upon  thee.  And  the  Gentiles  shall  come  to  thy  light,  and 
kings  to  the  brightness  of  thy  rising.  Lift  up  thine  eyes 
round  about,  and  see  :  all  they  gather  themselves  together, 
they  come  to  thee  :  thy  sons  shall  come  from  far,  and  thy 
daughters  shall  be  nursed  at  thy  side.  Then  thou  shalt  see, 
and  flow  together,  and  thine  heart  shall  fear,  and  be  en- 
larged ;  because  the  abundance  of  the  sea  shall  be  con- 
verted unto  thee,  the  forces  of  the  Gentiles  shall  come  unto 
thee.  The  multitude  of  camels  shall  cover  thee,  the  drome- 
daries of  Midian  and  Ephah  ;  all  they  from  Sheba  shall 
come  :  they  shall  bring  gold  and  incense  ;  and  they  shall 
shew  forth  the  praises  of  the  Lord.  All  the  flocks  of  Ke- 
dar  shall  be  gathered  together  unto  thee,  the  rams  of  Nebai- 
oth  shall  minister  unto  thee  :  they  shall  come  up  with 
acceptance  on  mine  altar,  and  I  will  glorify  the  house 
of  my  glory.     Who  are  these  that  fly  as  a  cloud,  and  as  the 


5i  ELOCUTION. 

doves  to  their  windows  ?  Surely  the  isles  shall  wait  for 
me,  and  the  sliips  of  Tarshish  first,  to  bring  thy  sous  from 
far,  their  silver  and  their  gold  with  them,  unto  the  name 
of  the  Lord  thy  God,  aud  to  the  Holy  One  of  Israel,  be- 
cause he  hath  glorified  thee.  And  the  sons  of  strangers 
shall  build  up  thy  walls,  and  their  kings  shall  minister 
unto  thee  :  for  in  my  wrath  I  smote  thee,  but  in  my  favor 
have  I  had  mercy  on  thee.  Therefore  thy  gates  shall  be 
open  continually  ;  they  shall  not  be  shut  day  nor  night ; 
that  men  may  bring  unto  thee  the  forces  of  the  Gentiles, 
and  that  their  kings  may  be  brought.  For  the  nation  and 
kingdom  that  will  not  serve  thee  shall  perish ;  yea,  those 
nations  shall  be  utterly  wasted.  The  glory  of  Lebanon 
shall  come  unto  thee,  the  fir-tree,  the  pine-tree,  and  the 
box  together,  to  beautify  the  place  of  my  sanctuary ;  and  I 
will  make  the  place  of  my  feet  glorious.  The  sons  also  of 
them  that  afflicted  thee  shall  come  bending  unto  thee  ;  and 
all  they  that  despised  thee  shall  bow  themselves  down  at 
the  soles  of  thy  feet ;  and  they  shall  call  thee.  The  city  of  the 
Lord,  The  Zion  of  the  Holy  One  of  Israel. " — Isaiah,  Ix. ,  1-14. 

The  authority  and  majesty  contained  in  the  second 
''Sentence"  require  fullness  of  voice,  any  insufficiency  of 
the  volume  being  suggestive  of  weakness  and  unreality. 

4.  "From  the  rising  of  the  sun  even  unto  the  going 
down  of  the  same,  my  Name  shall  be  great  among  the  Gen- 
tiles ;  and  in  every  place  incense  shall  be  offered  unto  my 
Name,  and  a  jiure  offering  :  for  my  Name  shall  be  great 
among  the  heathen,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts." 

The  fullest  outpouring  of  heartfelt  praise  and  thanks- 
giving, in  recognition  of  the  majesty  and  glory  of  the 
Almighty,  as  in  the  *'  Te  Deum,"  is  best  suggested  vo- 
cally by  the  completed  effect  of  fullness  of  sound  in  the 

utterance. 

5.   Te  Deum  Jaudamus. 

"  We  praise  thee,  0  God  ;  we  acknowledge  thee  to  be 
the  Lord. 


QUALITY.  55 

"All  the  earth  doth  worship  thee,  the  Father  everlast- 


ing. 


"  To  thee  all  Angels  cry  aloud  ;  the  Heavens,  and  all  the 
Powers  therein. 

'•'To  thee  Cherubim  and  Seraphim  continually  do  cry, 

"  Holy,  Holy,  Holy,  Lord  God  of  Sabaoth  ; 

"Heaven  and  earth  are  full  of  the  Majesty  of  thy 
Glory. 

"  The  glorious  company  of  the  Apostles  praise  thee. 

"The  goodly  fellowship  of  the  Prophets  praise  thee, 

"The  noble  army  of  Martyrs  praise  thee." 

The  exercises  following  will  also  prove  of  service,  it  is 
believed,  in  the  mechanical  discipline. 

1.  A  very  useful  drill  is  to  yawn  out  the  utterance  of 
vowel  sounds  and  syllables.  The  purpose  of  this  is  to  se- 
cure the  widest  opening  of  the  organs. 

2.  The  practice  of  hearty,  yet  controlled,  laughter  will 
effect  certain  desirable  results.  Laugh  out  the  syllables 
"ha,  ha,  ha,"  "haw,  haw,  haw,"  "ho,  ho,  ho,"  "  hoo, 
hoo,  hoo."  This  exercise  gives  a  certain  freedom  from  re- 
straint, so  desirable  for  ease,  and  also,  by  the  laws  of  sug- 
gestion, enlivens  the  spirits. 

The  sympathetic  voice  is  used  when  the  speaker  would 
ingratiate  himself  and  inspire  confidence,  as  in  addressing 
a  child.  Let  one  observe  how  he  would  speak  to  a  timid 
or  frightened  little  girl,  in  the  words,  "Dear  child,  come 
to  me ;  I  won't  hurt  yon;  don't  be  afraid."  Just  as  a 
harsh  voice  would  repel  or  alarm  the  child,  and  therefore 
we  are  driven  to  modify  the  ruder  or  more  careless  utter- 
ance, so,  in  addressing  an  adult  singly  or  a  congregation. 
When  the  earnest  purpose  is  to  secure  a  hearing,  inspire 
confidence,  and  produce  conviction,  we  find  the  same  in- 
stinctive adaptation  of  the  sound  to  the  purpose.  No  one 
can  argue  earnestly  in  private,  in  the  effort  to  dissuade  a 
youth  from  ways  of  wrong-doing,  in  a  voice  that  is  harsh 


56  ELOCUTION. 

and  unsympathetic,  and  still  hope  to  accomplish  his  pur- 
pose. The  laws  of  sympathetic  communication  are  fixed, 
and  can  not  be  violated  without  stultifying  the  very  object 
in  view.  Let  the  speaker  realize,  as  the  diplomatic  messen- 
ger in  court  circles  might,  that  the  address,  the  manner,  the 
whole  style  of  the  man,  imprint  themselves  upon  his  mes- 
sage, and  thereby  assist  in  success  or  failure,  and  he  will 
have  the  necessarv  idea  of  such  uses  of  the  voice  as  will 
naturally  secure  and  not  repel  a  hearing.  Boorishness  must 
be  avoided,  even  in  tones  of  voice,  in  the  pulpit  as  well  as 
in  the  court.  A  useful  exercise  for  the  voice  is  to  frame 
sentences  for  such  imaginary  scenes  as  are  described  or  sug- 
gested above.  No  speaker  has  a  right  to  impose  disagree- 
able or  unsympathetic  tones  upon  his  congregation,  Avhen 
by  thoughtful  care  and  practice  he  may  remedy  such  a  vocal 
defect. 

It  should  be  remembered,  however,  that  it  is  not  always 
the  purpose  to  seek  the  expression  of  sympathy.  In  treat- 
ing upon  topics  where  indignation  or,  it  may  be,  execration 
is  demanded,  the  very  reverse  of  the  above  style  would  be 
the  natural  expression.  If  the  ear  is  accustomed  to  these 
effects  in  sound,  it  will  soon  become  easy  to  remedy  faults. 
It  is  largely  inattention  which  causes  inexpressive  and  of- 
fensive uses  of  the  voice. 

The  instinctive  adaptation  of  the  voice  to  occasions  and 
circumstances  becomes  interesting  and  profitable  matter  for 
study.  "  To  order  myself  reverently  and  lowly  to  all  my 
betters  "  has  in  it  a  value  for  speech  as  well  as  morals.  Let 
the  speaker  imagine  himself  in  the  presence  of  his  supe- 
riors, and  that  he  is  addressing  dignitaries.  He  will  find 
that  the  courtly  phrases  of  address,  *'Your  Excellency," 
"Your  Grace,"  "Your  Majesty,"  are  delivered  with  a  cir- 
cumspect and  deferential  utterance,  indicative  of  the  respect 
due  to  the  superior.  And,  as  in  deportment  under  such 
circumstances  every  man  would  be  on  his  "best  behavior," 
he  would  find  the   same  forming  influences  affecting  his 


FORCE.  57 

voice.  In  the  presence  of  the  Supreme  Euler,  the  King 
of  Kings,  how  much  more  should  the  best  uses  of  the  voice 
show  the  reverent  homage  of  the  heart ! 


CHAPTER  VI. 

FOKCE. 

It  is  important  that  all  tlie  degrees  of  force,  from  the 
gentlest  to  the  loudest,  should  be  comi^letely  under  the 
control  of  the  speaker.  Few  things  are  more  enervating 
to  an  audience,  and  for  whicli  toleration  is  less  exercised  by 
the  critical  hearer,  than  feebleness  of  voice.  While  it  may 
excite  the  sympathy  of  some,  it  is  also  liable  to  rouse  the 
contempt  of  others.  This  want  of  force  displays  not  only 
lack  of  manly  vigor,  but  the  deficiency  of  responsive  power 
to  the  demands  of  the  stronger  degrees  of  feeling.  By  the 
harmony  of  the  human  system,  when  the  emotional  nature 
is  deeply  and  energetically  excited,  a  kindred  effect  is  pro- 
duced on  the  nerves  and  muscles  which  compose  the  frame. 
This  induces,  by  necessity,  a  corresponding  action  of  the 
vocal  organs.  And  if  by  any  misfortune  the  known  fitness 
of  feeling  is  not  properly  expressed  in  the  voice,  its  use 
fails.  If  the  feeling  of  sublimity  arises,  for  instance,  an 
insufficient  supply  of  voice  will  not  convey  it  to  the  car  ;  and 
as  tliere  can  be  no  such  thing  as  enfeebled  indignation, 
neither  can  we  utter  that  feeling  without  its  peculiar  char- 
acter of  force  in  the  sound.  Exultation,  joy,  praise,  tri- 
umph, without  that  full  degree  of  force  which  they  re- 
quire, do  not  reach  the  sympathies  nor  lift  the  heart  with 
genuine  impulse  of  feeling.  The  attempt  to  express  these 
and  similar  feelings  with  insufficient  force  is  like  the  futile 
effort  of  the  child  or  woman  to  assume  the  full  and  com- 
manding eflcct  of  the  male  voice. 


58  ELOCUTION. 

Though  we  insist  upon  an  ample  degree  of  force  as  the 
characteristic  attribute  of  the  effective  expression  of  manly 
and  noble  sentiment,  a  caution  is  requisite  to  those  who  are 
inclined  to  anything  like  boisterous  vociferation.  The  same 
warning  applies  to  the  unsympathetic  effects  of  coarseness 
and  loudness,  where  gentle  feeling  demands  subdued  shades 
of  force  in  either  reading  or  speaking.  An  undue  degree 
of  force  is  peculiarly  shocking  and  offensive  to  the  ear  when 
applied  to  delicacy  of  sentiment.  It  is  like  boorishness  in 
the  social  circle,  pardonable  only  on  the  score  of  some  supe- 
rior, redeeming  characteristic,  but  still  productive  of  any- 
thing but  genuine  and  pleasing  impressions.  Tenderness, 
delicacy,  reverence,  serenity,  and  similar  states  of  feeling, 
in  the  force  of  voice  which  they  require,  are,  of  course, 
in  strongest  contrast  v/itli  the  bolder  emotions  named 
above. 

The  occasional  transition  from  the  vocal  effort  requisite 
to  fill  a  large  house  to  the  subdued  and  quieting  effects  of 
unimpassioned  thought  is  agreeable  and  expressive,  and  a 
great  relief  to  the  ear.  This  same  use,  if  it  be  the  natural 
offspring  of  feeling  expressed  in  the  hushed  utterance,  as 
when  the  heart  is  tenderly  moved,  is  a  further  power  to  be 
cultivated  by  the  speaker.  It  is  not  implied  that  the  transi- 
tion in  any  case  should  be  mechanical  or  unmeaning — it  is 
not  anything  *' put  on."  It  is  simply  the  natural  vigor 
and  pliancy  of  the  voice,  ready  to  respond  to  all  changes  of 
emotion,  from  the  grandest,  noblest,  boldest,  and  most 
inspiriting,  to  the  gentlest,  tenderest,  and  most  subdued. 
Monotony  in  the  voice,  when  there  ought  to  be  the  varied 
shades  of  force,  is  entirely  unimpressive,  and  vitiates  the 
proper  effect  in  the  use  of  that  particular  degree  of  loud- 
ness which  might  be  expressive  but  for  its  constant  repeti- 
tion. The  speaker  should  remember  that  loudness  is  not 
of  itself  eloquence,  neither  is  the  too  frequent  and  undue 
repetition  of  the  subdued  tones.  Every  feeling  has  its  own 
peculiar  measure  of  force,  and  we  are  simply  at  variance 


FORCE.  59 

with  nature  when  we  disregard  its  appropriate  and  expres- 
sive emphasis. 

In  all  the  qualities  of  voice,  persistent  practice  with  ref- 
erence to  the  necessary  points  will  secure  the  desired  object. 
Daily  drill  upon  all  the  degrees  of  force  for  fifteen  or  twenty 
minutes  will,  in  the  course  of  a  few  weeks,  develop  to  a 
marked  extent  the  power  of  utterance.  Care  shovild  be 
taken  to  avoid  beginning  any  vocal  exercise  with  extreme 
uses  of  the  voice.  A  sudden  burst  from  silence  or  unim- 
passioned  force  to  the  loudest  shout  or  cry  of  terror  is  too 
violent  an  exercise  for  nnpracticed  organs.  But  it  will 
prove  beneficial  to  begin  with  the  lighter  shades  and  gradu- 
ally increase  to  the  extreme  of  loudness.  The  repetition 
of  the  vowel  sounds,  or  the  table  of  atonic  elements  (see 
page  35),  should  be  followed  out,  with  the  degrees  of  force 
indicated  in  the  paragraph  below.  Eepeat  also,  with  char- 
acteristic degrees  of  force,  each  of  the  words  following  : 
Whisper,  effusive  whisper,  expulsive  whisper,  explosive 
whisper. 

The  succeeding  words  should  also  be  repeated  upon  the 
same  principle,  in  a  half  whisper,  with  the  voice  just  be- 
tween a  pure  whisper  and  vocality  :  Effusive  half-whisper, 
expulsive  half-whisper,  explosive  half-whisper. 

The  words  following  should  also  be  pronounced  descrip- 
tively :  Very  soft,  soft,  subdued,  unimpassioned,  moderate, 
energetic,  declamatory,  impassioned,  shouting,  calling. 

Explanations  of  these  terms  in  full,  and  complete  illus- 
trations of  them  arranged  for  practice,  will  be  found  in  the 
"Vocal  Culture." 

Subdued  Degrees  of  Force. — To  be  destitute  of  this  power 
in  expression  is  to  render  the  style  of  the  gentler  feelings 
harsh  and  forbidding  in  the  expression.  It  is  the  natural 
means  of  uttering  all  tender,  sympatlietic,  and  chastened 
emotion. 

The  delicacy  of  the  sentiment  in  the  passage  from  Hood 
is  a  good  exercise  for  the  voice  and  car  : 


60  ELOCUTION. 

1.    We  tvatched  her  BreatMng. — Thomas  Hood. 

"  We  watclied  her  breathing  through  the  night, 
Her  breathing  soft  and  low, 
As  in  her  breast  the  wave  of  life 
Kept  heaving  to  and  fro. 

*'  So  silently  we  seemed  to  sj)eak. 
So  slowly  moved  about, 
As  we  lent  her  half  her  powers 
To  eke  her  living  out. 

"  Our  very  hopes  belied  our  fears. 
Our  fears  our  hopes  belied — 
We  thought  her  dying  when  she  slept. 
And  sleeping  when  she  died. 

"  For  when  the  morn  came  dim  and  sad. 
And  chill  with  early  showers, 
Her  quiet  eyelids  closed — she  had 
Another  morn  than  ours." 

The  tenderness  and  sympathy  in  the  description  of  the 
virtues  of  one  beloved,  and  now  departed,  instinctively 
prompt  the  subdued  degree  of  force  in  the  delivery. 

2.  *'  It  is  right  that  she  should  not  pass  from  her  place 
among  us  without  a  few  words  of  loving  comment — very 
few,  however,  for  the  pen  dipped  in  tears  does  not  flow 
readily.  She  was  born  and  bred  in  the  Church,  and  all 
through  her  pure,  sweet  life  she  never  departed  from  its 
teachings.  Her  faith  was  simple  and  strong — never  severe- 
ly tried,  perhaps,  but  of  the  kind  that,  in  the  day  of  trial, 
would  have  gone  forth  in  the  strength  of  the  Lord  and  en- 
dured unto  the  end.  As  she  matured  from  girlhood  into 
womanhood,  the  extreme  loveliness  of  her  person  and 
manners,  the  refined  culture  of  her  tastes,  and  the  very 
high  order  of  her  intellect,  attracted  toward  her  an  unusu- 


FORCE.  .  6X 

ally  large  circle  of  admiring  friends.  The  outgoings  and 
incomings  of  lier  life  were  love  ;  she  gave  out  freely  from 
her  generous  heart,  only  to  receive  back  again  the  Gospel's 
'good  measure'  of  love  'pressed  down  and  shaken  together 
and  running  over,'  and  yet  her  youth,  her  beauty,  her  time 
and  talents,  and  loving  heart,  were  ever  a  living  sacrifice  to 
God.  Home's  sweetest  ties  never  fully  engrossed  her  soul. 
Beyond  and  above  them  all,  u]}  on  the  mountain-tops,  dis- 
engaged and  free,  she  walked  in  white  and  lived  with  God. 
It  was  blessed  to  know  and  love  her,  and  now,  through 
tears,  it  is  more  blessed  to  look  up,  and  say,  in  our  Saviour's 
words  :  '  Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart,  for  they  shall  see 
God.' " 

The  awe-inspiring  mystery  in  the  passage  from  the  Book 
of  Job  requires,  with  low  pitch  and  slow  movement,  a  soft- 
ened degree  of  force,  to  be  expressive. 

3.  "In  thoughts  from  the  visions  of  the  night,  when 
deep  sleep  falleth  on  men,  fear  came  upon  me,  and  trem- 
bling, which  made  all  my  bones  to  shake.  Then  a  spirit 
passed  before  my  face ;  the  hair  of  my  flesh  stood  up  :  it 
stood  still,  but  I  could  not  discern  the  form  thereof  :  an 
image  was  before  mine  eyes,  there  was  silence,  and  I  heard 
a  voice,  saying,  Shall  mortal  man  be  more  just  than  God  ? 
shall  a  man  be  more  pure  than  his  Maker  ?  " — Job,  iv,  13-17. 

In  the  Exhortation  to  the  Holy  Communion,  it  is  the 
solemnity  of  the  duty  and  its  momentous  consequences 
which  subdue  the  voice  in  force. 

4.  "  Dearly  beloved  in  the  Lord,  ye  who  mind  to  come 
to  the  holy  Communion  of  the  Body  and  Blood  of  our 
Saviour  Christ,  must  consider  how  St.  Paul  exhorteth  all 
persons  diligently  to  try  and  examine  themselves,  before 
they  presume  to  cat  of  that  Bread,  and  drink  of  that  Cup. 
For  as  the  benefit  is  great,  if  with  a  true  penitent  heart 
and  lively  faith  we  receive  that  holy  Sacrament  ;  so  is  the 
danger  great,  if  we  receive  the  same  unworthily.  Judge 
therefore  yourselves,  brethren,  that  ye  be  not  judged  of  the 


62  •  ELOCUTION. 

Lord  ;  repent  yo  truly  for  your  sins  past ;  have  a  lively  and 
steadfast  faith  in  Christ  our  Saviour  ;  amend  your  lives,  and 
be  in  perfect  charity  with  all  men  ;  so  shall  ye  be  meet  par- 
takers of  those  holy  mysteries." 

The  Benedictions,  both  Major  and  Minor,  are  uttered 
most  expressively  with  the  subdued  degree  of  force. 

5.  *'  The  peace  of  God,  which  passeth  all  understanding, 
keep  your  hearts  and  minds  in  the  knowledge  and  love  of 
God,  and  of  his  Son  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord  :  and  the  Bless- 
ing of  God  Almighty,  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy 
Ghost,  be  amongst  you,  and  remain  with  you  always." 

''  The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  love  of 
God,  and  the  fellowship  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  be  with  us  all 
evermore." — II.  Cor.,  xiii,  14. 

Moderate  Degrees  of  Force. — The  passages  following, 

not  being  characterized  by  the  stronger  and  bolder,  nor  by 

the  solemn,  the  sympathetic,  or  subdued  characteristics  of 

feeling,  find  sufficient  expression  in  moderate  degrees  of 

force  : 

1.  Abou  Bcn-AdJiem. — Leigh  Hunt. 

"  Abou  Ben-Adhem  (may  his  tribe  increase  !) 
Awoke  one  night  from  a  deep  dream  of  peace. 
And  saw  within  the  moonlight  in  his  room. 
Making  it  rich  and  like  a  lily  in  bloom. 
An  angel  writing  in  a  book  of  gold  : 
Exceeding  peace  had  made  Ben-Adhem  bold. 
And  to  the  presence  in  the  room  he  said, 
'  What  writest  thou  ? ' — The  vision  raised  its  head. 
And,  with  a  look  made  of  all  sweet  accord. 
Answered — '  The  names  of  those  who  love  the  Lord.' 
'And  is  mine  one  ? '  said  Abou  ;  'Nay,  not  so,' 
Replied  the  angel. — Abou  spoke  more  low. 
But  cheerly  still ;  and  said,  '  I  pray  thee,  then. 
Write  me  as  one  that  loves  his  fellow-men.' 

The  angel  wrote,  and  vanished.     The  next  night 
It  came  again,  with  a  great  wakening  light. 


FORCE.  63 

And  showed  the  names  whom  love  of  God  had  blessed — 
And,  lo  !  Ben-Adhem's  name  led  all  the  rest  !  " 

2.  Milton. — Prof.  Reed. 

"  The  first  part  of  Milton's  literary  life  is  full  of  a  beau- 
tiful reflection  of  the  age  that  had  gone  before  ;  his  genius 
is  then  glowing  with  tints  of  glory  cast  upon  it  by  the  Eliza- 
bethan poetry  :  the  meridian  of  it  is  in  close  correspondence 
with  the  season  of  the  power  of  the  Parliament  and  the  Pro- 
tector, when  Milton  stood  side  by  side  with  Cromwell ;  and 
the  latter  period  of  it  was  that  of  sublime  and  solitary  con- 
trast with  the  times  of  Charles  II.  The  first  was  the  genial 
season  of  youth — studious,  joure,  and  happy  ;  the  second 
was  of  mature  manhood — strenuous  in  civil  strife,  and  the 
dubious  dynasty  of  the  Protectorate  ;  the  third  was  old  age 
— darkened,  disappointed,  but  indomitable." 

After  the  full,  authoritative  voice  in  the  reading  of  the 
Commandments,  the  words  of  our  Lord,  expressive  of  the 
gentler  law — the  law  of  love — would  be  heard  naturally  with 
that  degree  of  force  which  enjoins  imperative  duties,  im- 
pelled, not  by  the  rigorous  exactions  of  the  law  of  works, 
but  by  the  gentler  demands  of  love.  This  feeling  would 
chasten  the  voice  to  the  subdued  degree  were  it  not  for  the 
authoritative  character  of  the  injunctions.  The  two  effects 
blended  find  expression  through  moderate  force. 

3.  '' Hear  also  what  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  saith.  Thou 
shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all 
thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind.  This  is  the  first  and  great 
commandment.  And  the  second  is  like  unto  it ;  Thou 
shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself.  On  these  two  command- 
ments hang  all  the  Law  and  the  Prophets." 

Most  of  the  Exhortations,  in  whatever  Service,  with  the 
exception  of  that  for  the  Holy  Communion,  are  sufficiently 
expressed  with  a  moderate  degree  of  force. 

4.  "  Dearly  beloved,  forasmuch  as  all  men  are  con- 
ceived and  born  in  sin,  (and  that  which  is  born  of  the  flesh 


64  ELOCUTION. 

is  flesh,)  and  they  who  are  in  the  flesh  can  not  please  God, 
but  live  in  sin,  committing  many  actual  transgressions  ;  and 
our  Saviour  Christ  saith,  None  can  enter  into  the  kingdom 
of  God  except  he  be  regenerate  and  born  anew  of  Water 
and  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  I  beseech  you  to  call  upon  God 
the  Father,  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that  of  his 
bounteous  goodness  he  will  grant  to  these  persons  that 
which  by  nature  they  can  not  have  ;  that  they  may  be  bap- 
tized with  Water  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  received  into 
Christ's  holy  Church,  and  be  made  lively  members  of  the 
same." — Baptism  of  Adults. 

All  didactic  passages  demand  naturally  the  moderate 
degrees  of  force. 

5.  "  Then  said  Jesus  unto  them  again,  Verily,  verily, 
I  say  unto  you,  I  am  the  door  of  the  sheep.  All  that  ever 
came  before  me  are  thieves  and  robbers ;  but  the  sheep  did 
not  hear  them.  I  am  the  door  :  by  me  if  any  man  enter 
in,  he  shall  be  saved,  and  shall  go  in  and  out,  and  find 
pasture.  The  thief  cometh  not,  but  for  to  steal,  and  to 
kill,  and  to  destroy  :  I  am  come  that  they  might  have  life, 
and  that  they  might  have  it  more  abundantly.  I  ain  the 
good  shepherd  :  the  good  shepherd  giveth  his  life  for  the 
sheep.  But  he  that  is  an  hireling,  and  not  the  shepherd, 
whose  own  the  sheej)  are  not,  seeth  the  wolf  coming,  and 
leaveth  the  sheep,  and  fleeth ;  and  the  wolf  catcheth  them, 
and  scattereth  the  sheep.  The  hireling  fleeth,  because  he 
is  an  hireling,  and  careth  not  for  the  sheep.  I  am  the  good 
shepherd,  and  know  my  sheep,  and  am  known  of  mine.  As 
the  Father  kuoweth  me,  even  so  know  I  the  Father  :  and  I 
lay  down  my  life  for  the  sheep.  And  other  sheep  I  have, 
which  are  not  of  this  fold  :  them  also  I  must  bring,  and 
they  shall  hear  my  voice  ;  and  there  shall  be  one  fold,  and 
one  shepherd.  Therefore  doth  my  Father  love  me,  be- 
cause I  lay  down  my  life,  that  I  might  take  it  again.  No 
man  taketh  it  from  me,  but  I  lay  it  down  of  myself.  I 
have  power  to  lay  it  down,  and  I  have  power  to  take  it 


FORCE.  65 

again.    This  commandment  have  I  received  of  my  Father." 
—St.  John,  X.,  7-18. 

TTie  Stronger  Degrees  of  Force. — To  give  the  command- 
ing effect  of  the  authoritative  reading  of  the  Law  of  God, 
as  contained  in  the  Ten  Commandments,  the  voice  must 
necessarily  be  strong  and  full.  Any  degree  of  pathetic  ex- 
pression (by  no  means  an  uncommon  defect  in  reading) 
destroys  the  character  of  the  expression  of  authority. 
Light,  deprecating,  pleading  tones  in  the  reading  of  the 
Decalogue  are  puerile  and  not  commanding.  The  language 
is  positive  and  emphatic  ;  the  utterance  should  imply  noth- 
ing less  than  this.  Majesty  and  dignity  alike  demand  a 
just  degree  of  force.  Any  familiarity  or  triviality  in  the 
vocal  utterance  would,  therefore,  destroy  the  gravity  and 
character  given  to  the  voice  in  proclaiming  those  laws  of 
God  which,  by  their  very  utterance,  challenge  man's  obedi- 
ence. The  effort  to  secure  the  just  degree  of  authority 
in  the  expression  should,  however,  lead  the  reader  carefully 
to  avoid  that  personality  of  tone  in  the  utterance  which 
would  imply  that  he  was  exacting  of  his  hearers  absolute 
obedience  to  his  own  laws. 

1.  I.  "God  sjDake  these  words,  and  said  ;  I  am  the  Lord 
thy  God  :  Thou  shalt  have  none  other  gods  but  me. 

IL  "  Thou  shalt  not  make  to  thyself  any  graven  image, 
nor  the  likeness  of  anything  that  is  in  heaven  above,  or  in 
the  earth  beneath,  or  in  the  water  under  the  earth.  Thou 
shalt  not  bow  down  to  them,  nor  worship  them  :  for  I  the 
Lord  thy  God  am  a  jealous  God,  and  visit  the  sins  of 
the  fathers  upon  the  children,  unto  the  third  and  fourth 
generation  of  them  that  hate  me ;  and  show  mercy  unto 
thousands  in  them  that  love  mc,  and  keep  my  command- 
ments. 

III.  "Thou  shalt  not  take  the  Name  of  the  Lord  thy 
God  in  vain  :  for  the  Lord  will  not  hold  him  guiltless,  that 
taketh  his  Name  in  vain. 

IV.  "Remember  that  thou  keep  holy  the  Sabbath-day. 


06  ELOCUTIOX. 

Six  days  shalt  tliou  labour,  and  do  all  that  thou  hast  to  do  : 
but  the  seventh  day  is  the  Sabbath  of  the  Lord  thy  God.  In 
it  thou  shalt  do  no  manner  of  work  ;  thou,  and  thy  son,  and 
thy  daughter,  thy  man-servant,  and  thy  maid-servant,  thy 
cattle,  and  the  stranger  that  is  within  thy  gates.  For  in 
six  days  the  Lord  made  heaven  and  earth,  the  sea,  and  all 
that  in  them  is,  and  rested  the  seventh  day  :  wherefore  the 
Lord  blessed  the  seventh  day,  and  hallowed  it. 

V.  "  Honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother  ;  that  thy  days 
may  be  long  in  the  land  which  the  Lord  thy  God  giveth 
thee. 

VI.  "Thou  shalt  do  no  murder. 

VII.  "■  Thou  shalt  not  commit  adultery. 

VIII.  "  Thou  shalt  not  steal. 

IX.  ''Thou  shalt  not  bear  false  witness  against  thy 
neighbor. 

X.  "  Thou  shalt  not  covet  thy  neighbor's  house,  thou 
shalt  not  covet  thy  neighbor's  wife,  nor  his  servant,  nor  his 
maid,  nor  his  ox,  nor  his  ass,  nor  anything  that  is  his." 

All  the  bolder  and  more  authoritative  passages  of  Scrip- 
ture demand  the  louder  degrees  of  force  in  their  expressive 
rendering. 

2.  "  Hear  the  word  of  the  Lord,  ye  rulers  of  Sodom ; 
give  ear  unto  the  law  of  our  God,  ye  people  of  Gomorrah. 
To  what  purpose  is  the  multitude  of  your  sacrifices  unto 
me  ?  saith  the  Lord  :  I  am  full  of  the  burnt  offerings 
of  rams,  and  the  fat  of  fed  beasts  ;  and  I  delight  not 
in  the  blood  of  bullocks,  or  of  lambs,  or  of  he  goats. 
AVhen  ye  come  to  appear  before  me,  who  hath  required  this 
at  your  hand,  to  tread  my  courts  ?  Bring  no  more  vain 
oblations ;  incense  is  an  abomination  unto  me ;  the  new 
moons  and  sabbaths,  the  calling  of  assemblies,  I  can  not 
away  with  ;  it  is  iniquity,  even  the  solemn  meeting.  Your 
new  moons  and  your  appointed  feasts  my  soul  hateth  :  they 
are  a  trouble  unto  me  ;  I  am  weary  to  bear  them.  And 
when  ye  spread  forth  your  hands,  I  will  hide  mine  eyes 


FORCE.  67 

from  you ;  yea,  when  ye  make  many  prayers,  I  will  not 
hear  :  your  hands  are  full  of  blood." — Isaiah,  i.,  10-15. 

Frequent  use  of  the  voice  in  sustained  exercise  on  the 
louder  degrees  will  give  that  firmness  and  body  of  tone 
requisite  for  commanding  effects,  and  which  can  be  ac- 
quired in  no  other  way. 

Practice  upon  such  passages  as  the  following,  with  full 
declamatory  effect,  will  strengthen  and  improve  the  voice  : 

3.  Eloquence  of  Jolin  Adams. — Webster. 

*' The  war  must  go  on.  We  must  fight  it  through.  And, 
if  the  war  must  go  on,  why  put  off  longer  the  Declaration 
of  Independence  ?  That  measure  will  strengthen  us.  It 
will  give  us  character  abroad. 

"  Why  then,  sir,  do  we  not,  as  soon  as  possible,  change 
this  from  a  civil  to  a  national  war  ?  And,  since  we  must 
fight  it  through,  why  not  put  ourselves  in  a  state  to  enjoy 
all  the  benefits  of  victory,  if  we  gain  the  victory  ? 

"  Read  this  declaration  at  the  head  of  the  army  ;  every 
sword  will  be  drawn  from  its  scabbard,  and  the  solemn  vow 
uttered,  to  maintain  it,  or  to  perish  on  the  bed  of  honor. 
Publish  it  from  the  pulpit ;  religion  will  approve  it,  and 
the  love  of  religious  liberty  will  cling  round  it,  resolved  to 
stand  with  it  or  fall  with  it.  Send  it  to  the  public  halls  ; 
proclaim  it  there  ;  let  them  hear  it  who  heard  the  first  roar 
of  the  enemy's  cannon  ;  let  them  see  it  who  saw  their 
brothers  and  their  sons  fall  on  the  field  of  Bunker  Hill, 
and  in  the  streets  of  Lexington  and  Concord,  and  the  very 
walls  will  cry  out  in  its  support. 

"  Sir,  I  know  the  uncertainty  of  human  affairs,  but  I 
see,  I  see  clearly,  through  this  day's  business.  You  and  I, 
indeed,  may  rue  it.  We  may  not  live  to  the  time  when 
this  Declaration  shall  be  made  good.  Wo  may  die  ;  die,  col- 
onists ;  die,  slaves  ;  die,  it  may  be,  ignominiously  and  on  the 
scaffold.  Be  it  so.  Be  it  so.  If  it  be  the  pleasure  of  Heaven 
that  my  country  shall  require  the  poor  offering  of  my  life. 


C8  ELOCUTION. 

the  victim  shall  be  ready,  at  the  appointed  hour  of  sacrifice, 
come  when  that  hour  may.  But,  while  I  do  live,  let  me 
have  a  country,  or  at  least  the  hope  of  a  country,  and  that 
a  free  country. 

"  Sir,  before  God,  I  believe  the  hour  is  come.  My  judg- 
ment approves  this  measure,  and  my  whole  heart  is  in  it. 
All  that  I  have,  and  all  that  I  am,  and  all  that  I  hope,  in 
this  life,  I  am  now  ready  here  to  stake  upon  it ;  and  I  leave 
off,  as  I  began,  that,  live  or  die,  survive  or  perish,  I  am  for 
the  declaration.  It  is  my  living  sentiment,  and  by  the 
blessing  of  God  it  shall  be  my  dying  sentiment :  independ- 
ence noio ;  and  independence  fokever." 

Sustained  vociferation,  taking  care  at  the  same  time  to 
guard  against  impurity  of  sound  or  over-tasking  of  the 
organs,  is  an  invigorating  drill  for  the  voice.  Atonic  ele- 
ments may  be  called  out  with  the  fullest  supply  of  breath 
and  voice,  as  in  the  effort  to  send  the  sound  to  a  listener 
half  a  mile  distant.  Especial  attention  should  be  paid  to 
the  production  of  the  voice  in  the  calling  exercise,  without 
exhausting  effort.  The  degree  of  force  should  be  no  louder 
than  the  vocal  and  physical  powers  of  the  student  would 
warrant. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

PITCH. 

The  ordinary  compass  of  the  human  voice  is  about  two 
octaves,  and  the  command  of  all  the  intervals  between  the 
two  extremes  of  highest  and  lowest  is  a  great  power  in  pub- 
lic speaking.  Under  the  impulse  of  excitable  feelings,  in 
contrast  with  those  which  are  deep  and  profound,  we  nat- 
urally find  the  full  scope  of  pitch  above  indicated.  If,  for 
instance,  we  express  the  profoundest  horror,  and  contrast 
its  utterance  with  that  of  a  loud  cry  of  terror,  we  shall 


PITCn.  69 

find  the  greatest  extremes  of  pitch.  Even  in  colloquial  in- 
tercourse, the  gleeful  expression  of  mirth  and  impulsive 
laughter  would  rise  through  the  compass  of  several  notes 
above  the  utterance  of  deep  solemnity.  And,  in  emphatic 
and  earnest  communication  of  thought,  intense  eagerness 
and  vehement  indignation  would  mark  very  wide  transi- 
tions. This,  we  say,  is  the  prompting  of  nature,  when 
there  are  no  repressing  or  distracting  influences  to  divert 
the  attention,  impede  the  expression,  or  render  the  speaker 
unnatural.  It  would  seem  as  if  the  office  of  reading  even 
the  sacred  volume  in  public,  and  proclaiming  the  truth 
from  the  pulpit,  necessitated  something  artificial  and  un- 
meaning in  the  delivery  of  the  voice.  For  we  find  clergy- 
men, as  a  class,  in  the  effort  of  communication  under  these 
circumstances,  limiting  the  range  of  pitch,  on  most  occa- 
sions, to  a  very  narrow  compass,  and  ordinarily  making  use 
of  less  than  a  third  of  the  power  which  nature  has  given 
them.  Where  we  hear  one  speaker  employing  the  notes  of 
an  octave,  we  shall  find  nearly  twenty  who  use  no  more 
than  three  notes. 

The  cultivation  of  flexibility  of  the  vocal  organs,  and 
the  ready  perception  of  the  ear,  thus  become  a  necessary 
part  of  the  training  process  of  the  voice,  in  order  that  the 
notes,  as  high  or  low,  may  be  ready  at  call  to  respond  to  the 
demands  of  feeling. 

Drill  exercises  will,  if  persisted  in,  secure  in  time  the 
required  flexibility  and  the  desired  compass.  Practice  upon 
the  notes  in  pitch  with  the  words  below,  which  name  the 
various  degrees  : 

Middle  pitch,  low,  lower,  lowest.  High,  higher,  high- 
est. Then  vary  the  exorcise  by  passing  from  lowest  to  high- 
est, middle  to  low,  etc. 

Middle  Pitch. — The  proper  key  for  this  pitch  is  a  little 
below  that  of  animated  conversation.  It  is  the  voice  of 
unimpassioned  thought,  and  is  peculiarly  expressive  and 
appropriate  when  properly  applied.     There  are  many  speak- 


70  ELOCUTION. 

ers,  who,  from  the  depressing  and  constraining  influences 
of  speaking  in  public,  give,  in  place  of  this  middle  pitch, 
a  dispirited  low  key,  which  solemnizes  and  renders  very  op- 
I^ressive  the  ordinary  degree  of  unimpassioned  communi- 
cation. Others,  from  undue  excitement,  form  the  opposite 
habit  of  invariably  using  the  voice  on  a  high  key.  Both 
of  these  faults  are  equally  destructive  of  the  desired  effect, 
for,  as  there  is  nothing  in  unimpassioned  thought  to  depress 
the  voice  to  a  low  key,  so  there  is  no  excitement  to  lift  it  to 
high  notes.  The  proper  command  of  the  middle  key  im- 
plies conscious  possession  of  the  thought,  and  conscious 
purpose  to  communicate  it,  as  opposed  to  involuntary  im- 
pulse in  the  delivery. 

1.   Of  Studies. — Bacon. 

"  Studies  serve  for  delight,  for  ornament,  and  for  ability. 
Their  chief  use  for  delight,  is  in  privateness  and  retiring  ; 
for  ornament,  is  in  discourse ;  and  for  ability,  is  in  the 
judgment  and  disposition  of  business  ;  for  expert  men  can 
execute,  and  perhaps  judge  of  particulars  one  by  one  ;  but 
the  general  counsels,  and  the  plots  and  marshalling  of  af- 
fairs, come  best  from  those  that  are  learned.  To  spend  too 
much  time  in  studies,  is  sloth  ;  to  use  them  too  much  for 
ornament,  is  affectation  ;  to  make  judgment  wholly  by  their 
rules,  is  the  humor  of  a  scholar.  They  perfect  nature,  and 
are  perfected  by  experience ;  for  natural  abilities  are  like 
natural  plants,  that  need  pruning  by  study  ;  and  studies 
themselves  do  give  forth  directions  too  much  at  large,  ex- 
cept they  be  bounded  in  by  experience.  Crafty  men  con- 
temn studies,  simple  men  admire  them,  and  wise  men  use 
them ;  for  they  teach  not  their  own  use  ;  but  that  is  a 
wisdom  without  them  and  above  them,  won  by  observa- 
tion." 

In  the  closing  address  to  the  sponsors  at  Baptism,  the 
instructions  relating  more  to  binding  duties,  and  in  the 
form  of  injunction,  would  naturally  throw  the  voice  a  little 


PITCH.  71 

lower  than  in  tlie  preceding  extract,  but  still  within  the 
limits  of  "  middle  pitch." 

2.  "Forasmuch  as  this  Child  hath  promised  by  you  his 
sureties  to  renounce  the  devil  and  all  his  works,  to  believe 
in  God,  and  to  serve  him  ;  ye  must  remember,  that  it  is  your 
parts  and  duties  to  see  that  this  Infant  be  taught,  so  soon 
as  he  shall  be  able  to  learn,  what  a  solemn  vow,  promise, 
and  profession,  he  hath  here  made  by  you.  And  that  he 
may  know  these  things  the  better,  ye  shall  call  upon  him  to 
hear  Sermons  ;  and  chiefly  ye  shall  provide,  that  he  may 
learn  the  Creed,  the  Lord's  Prayer,  and  the  Ten  Command- 
ments, and  all  other  things  which  a  Christian  ought  to 
know  and  believe  to  his  soul's  health  ;  and  that  this  Child 
may  be  virtuously  brought  up  to  lead  a  godly  and  a  Chris- 
tian life  ;  remembering  always,  that  Baptism  doth  represent 
unto  us  our  profession  ;  which  is,  to  follow  the  example  of 
our  Saviour  Christ,  and  to  be  made  like  unto  him  ;  that  as  he 
died,  and  rose  again  for  us,  so  should  Ave,  who  are  baptized, 
die  from  sin,  and  rise  again  unto  righteousness  ;  continu- 
ally mortifying  all  our  evil  and  corrupt  affections,  and  daily 
proceeding  in  all  virtue  and  godliness  of  living." 

Unimpassioned  narrative  requires  middle  pitch.  The 
calm  description  of  the  Garden  of  Eden,  therefore,  is  to  be 
read  in  that  key. 

3.  ''And  the  Lord  God  planted  a  garden  eastward  in 
Eden  ;  and  there  he  put  the  man  whom  he  had  formed. 
And  out  of  the  ground  made  the  Lord  God  to  grow  every 
tree  that  is  pleasant  to  the  sight,  and  good  for  food ;  the 
tree  of  life  also  in  the  midst  of  the  garden,  and  the  tree  of 
knowledge  of  good  and  evil.  And  a  river  went  out  of 
Eden  to  water  the  garden  ;  and  from  thence  it  was  parted, 
and  became  into  four  heads.  The  name  of  the  first  is 
Pison  :  that  is  it  which  compasseth  the  whole  land  of  liavi- 
lah,  where  there  is  gold  ;  and  the  gold  of  that  land  is  good  : 
there  is  bdellium  and  the  onyx  stone.  And  the  name  of 
the  second  river  is  Gihon  :  the  same  is  it  that  compasseth 


72  ELOCUTION. 

the  whole  land  of  Ethiopia.  And  the  name  of  the  third 
river  is  Hiddekel  :  that  is  it  which  goeth  toward  tlie  east  of 
Assyria.   And  the  fourth  river  is  Euphrates." — Gen.  ii. ,  8-14. 

Low  Pitch. — When  feeling  is  chastened  by  a  solemniz- 
ing theme,  when  vivacity  and  animation  are  repressed  by 
depth  of  feeling,  then  the  low  notes  increase  the  expressive 
means  of  communication.  Weight  and  gravity  of  thought, 
seriousness,  and  moral  effect  are  conveyed  through  this 
medium.  If  the  speaker  is  to  impress  by  the  gravity  of 
his  theme,  if  he  is  to  set  the  minds  of  his  hearers  deliber- 
ately and  thoughtfully  at  work,  he  will  find  the  low  notes 
the  leading  agent  in  producing  this  gravity  of  effect.  The 
absence  of  power  to  make  the  voice  resonant  on  the  lower 
keys  is  so  much  loss  of  impressive  and  commanding  effect. 
While  the  higher  notes  may  inspirit,  the  lower  will  chasten 
and  subdue  in  their  influence  and  feeling.  And  if  the 
speaker  who  is  conscious  of  having  delivered  his  voice  for 
several  minutes  on  an  undeviating  high  key  will  but  pause, 
inhale  a  full  breath,  in  order  to  change  the  action  of  the 
muscles,  and  then  deliberately  pass  to  a  low  note,  he  will 
himself  experience  the  relief  which  will  gratify  his  hearer. 

The  solemnity  of  the  thought  of  death  casts  the  voice 
low  in  pitch;  to  this  should  be  added  the  slow  movement, 
with  frequent  pauses. 

1.  In  Memoriam. — Tennyson. 
"  There  sat  the  Shadow  feared  of  man  ; 

"  Who  broke  our  fair  companionship. 

And  spread  his  mantle  dark  and  cold  ; 
And  wrapped  thee  formless  in  the  fold, 
And  dulled  the  murmur  on  thy  lip  ; 

*'  And  bore  thee  where  I  could  not  see 
Nor  follow,  though  I  walk  in  haste  ; 
And  think  that,  somewhere  in  the  waste. 
The  Shadow  sits  and  waits  for  me." 


PITCH.  73 

In  the  Service  for  the  Burial  of  the  Dead,  the  solemnity 
of  the  event  and  the  sympathetic  sorrow  which  touches 
the  heart  in  the  presence  of  death  and  the  bereaved  living 
suppress  the  voice  to  the  lower  notes.  The  sentences  below, 
to  be  in  harmony  with  this  Service,  must,  therefore,  be  on 
a  low  key.  A  high  pitch  would  make  the  entire  Service 
liippant,  unfeeling,  or  jubilant. 

2.  "  I  am  the  resurrection  and  the  life,  saith  the  Lord  : 
he  that  believeth  in  me,  though  he  were  dead,  yet  shall  he 
live  :  and  whosoever  liveth  and  believeth  in  me,  shall  never 
die." — St.  John,  xi.,  25,  26. 

*'  I  know  that  my  Eedeemer  liveth,  and  that  he  shall 
stand  at  the  latter  day  upon  the  earth.  And  though  after 
my  skin  worms  destroy  this  body,  yet  in  my  flesh  shall  I  see 
God  :  whom  I  shall  see  for  myself,  and  mine  eyes  shall 
behold,  and  not  another." — Job,  xix.,  25-27. 

"We  brought  nothing  into  this  world,  and  it  is  certain 
we  can  carry  nothing  out.  The  Lord  gave,  and  the  Lord 
hath  taken  away;  blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord." — I. 
Tim.,  vi.,  7.     Job,  i.,  21. 

The  Committal,  in  the  Burial  Service,  being  an  act  of 
the  greatest  solemnity  and  significance,  requires  a  still  lower 
key  than  the  foregoing  : 

3.  "  Forasmuch  as  it  hath  pleased  Almighty  God,  in  his 
wise  providence,  to  take  out  of  this  world  the  soul  of  our 
deceased  brother,  we  therefore  commit  his  body  to  the 
ground  ;  eartli  to  earth,  ashes  to  ashes,  dust  to  dust ;  look- 
ing for  the  general  Resurrection  in  the  last  day,  and  the  life 
of  the  world  to  come,  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  at 
whose  second  coming  in  glorious  majesty  to  judge  the  world, 
the  earth  and  the  sea  shall  give  up  their  dead  ;  and  the  cor- 
ruptible bodies  of  those  who  sleep  in  him  shall  be  changed, 
and  made  like  unto  his  own  glorious  body  ;  according  to 
the  mighty  working  whereby  he  is  able  to  subdue  all  things 
unto  himself." 

The  description  of  the  Judgment  scene,  to  be  portentous 


Y4r  ELOCUTION. 

and  solemn  in  effect,  would  keep  the  descriptive  voice  low 
in  pitch  : 

4.  "And  I  beheld  when  he  had  opened  the  sixth  seal, 
and,  lo,  there  was  a  great  earthquake  ;  and  the  sun  became 
black  as  sackcloth  of  hair,  and  the  moon  became  as  blood  ; 
and  the  stars  of  heaven  fell  unto  the  earth,  even  as  a  fig- 
tree  casteth  her  untimely  figs,  when  she  is  shaken  of  a 
mighty  wind.  And  the  heaven  departed  as  a  scroll  when 
it  is  rolled  together ;  and  every  mountain  and  island  were 
moved  out  of  their  places.  And  the  kings  of  the  earth, 
and  the  great  men,  and  the  rich  men,  and  the  chief  cap- 
tains, and  the  mighty  men,  and  every  bond  man,  and  every 
free  man,  hid  themselves  in  the  dens  and  in  the  rocks  of 
the  mountains  ;  and  said  to  the  mountains  and  rocks.  Fall 
on  us,  and  hide  us  from  the  face  of  him  that  sitteth  on  the 
throne,  and  from  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb  :  for  the  great  day 
of  his  wrath  is  come  ;  and  who  shall  be  able  to  stand  ?  " — 
Eev.,  vi.,  12-17. 

Higher  Pitch. — The  enlivening  and  inspiriting  effects  of 
excited  feeling  are  properly  conveyed  on  a  key  higher  than 
that  designated  by  "middle"  or  "low "pitch.  There  is 
but  little  use  for  the  upper  notes  in  the  reading  of  the  Ser- 
vice. Occasionally  in  the  pulpit  the  higher  notes  are  heard, 
indicative  of  the  earnestness  and  excitability  of  the  emotion 
which  produces  them. 

The  animated  description  in  the  passage  following  natu- 
rally lifts  the  voice  above  the  middle  key.  A  just  degree 
of  rapidity  must  accompany  tlie  expression,  to  account  for 
the  high  key. 

1.  Human  Machinery. — Sewell. 

"  Look  at  that  infant  at  its  mother's  breast ;  and  then 
collect  from  the  streets  of  London  all  your  great  artificers 
and  mechanics,  painters  and  sculptors,  architects  and  engi- 
neers ;  and  he  will  surpass  them  all.  He  is  performing  at 
this  moment  every  one  of  their  operations  with  a  dexterity 


riTCE.  75 

and  accuracy  and  perfection  which  baffle  even  the  concep- 
tion of  the  highest  intellects.  He  is  building  himself  a 
house,  in  which  his  soul  is  to  reside — a  house,  not  fixed  to 
one  spot,  but  capable  of  moving  about  to  any  place,  and 
adapting  itself  to  every  climate.  He  not  only  fits  together 
the  masonry  of  his  bones,  but  he  makes  the  masonry  itself ; 
a  hard,  solid,  but  light  concrete  of  artificial  stone.  He 
spins  cordage,  to  thatch  his  head.  He  weaves  a  most  deli- 
cate tissue  for  his  skin,  at  once  impervious  to  wet  from 
without  and  pervious  to  it  from  within  :  no  manufacturer 
has  yet  been  able  to  solve  this  necessary  problem.  He  con- 
structs a  telescope  to  see  with  ;  an  ear-trumpet  to  hear 
with  ;  a  carriage  to  ride  on  ;  a  pantechnicon  of  mechanical 
instruments  in  the  hand  ;  a  self-rei3airing  mill  in  his  teeth  ; 
a  most  curious  system  of  water- works — pipes,  pumps,  foun- 
tains, and  drains — by  which  he  distributes  the  blood  to  every 
part  of  his  mansion,  on  the  most  corrrct  principles  of  hy- 
draulics. He  will  make  an  air-pump  to  ventilate  it  in  his 
reservoir  of  the  lungs  ;  a  vast  kitchen  filled  with  stoves, 
ovens,  bake-houses,  to  concoct  his  food,  besides  larders  and 
presses  to  receive  it.  He  will  defy  any  chemist  to  equal 
the  menstruum  which  he  invents  and  employs  for  the  pur- 
pose of  analyzing  and  recombining  it.  At  the  same  time 
that  helpless  infant  is  creating  a  series  of  engines  of  all 
kinds  for  raising  weights,  pulling  co^ds,  propelling  bodies  ; 
branching  out  into  innumerable  springs,  pulleys,  levers, 
wheels,  and  valves — all  worked,  like  Mr.  Brunei's  block- 
machinery,  by  one  motive  power,  which  no  one  can  see. 
He  is  constructing  drains  and  cloacae  to  carry  off  all  that 
is  superfluous  or  noxious.  He  is  ready,  if  he  breaks  a  bone, 
instantly  to  set  to  work  and  make  a  new  concrete,  or  mar- 
moratum,  to  consolidate  it  again.  And  he  is  also  molding 
a  statue  ;  hiding  all  this  machinery  under  an  exquisite  fig- 
ure of  grace,  beauty,  and  proportion,  which  it  is  the  highest 
aim  of  modern  art  to  study  and  repeat.  He  will  paint  him- 
self with  the  delicacy  of  a  Eaphael  and  the  richness  of  a 


76  ELOCUTION. 

Titian.  He  will  touch  every  line  of  his  face  with  a  minute 
and  exquisite  feeling,  so  that  his  mind  may  be  seen  through 
it  as  through  a  transjjarent  veil.  He  will  construct  a  whole 
language  of  signs,  in  the  telegraphic  play  of  the  muscles, 
and  the  flexibility  of  the  features,  with  which  he  will  speak 
to  his  fellow-men  with  a  most  perspicuous  and  moving  and 
intelligible  eloquence.  And  he  will  fit  up  in  his  throat 
an  orchestra  of  musical  instruments,  capable  of  awakening 
every  pulse  of  sound,  full  of  life,  expression,  and  feeling, 
without  which  all  other  instruments  are  cold  and  insipid. 
And  when  all  this  has  been  done,  he  will  transmit  to  others 
the  same  wonderful  art,  the  same  mysterious  powers,  and 
multiply  and  preserve  them  through  an  infinite  series  of 
generations.  All  this  he  begins  to  do  the  moment  the 
breath  of  life  is  infused  into  him." 

Quiet  humor,  of  which  some  of  the  older  divines  espe- 
cially furnish  occasional  passages,  and  of  which  the  modern 
pulpit  is  not  entirely  destitute,  would,  of  course,  require 
that  flexibility  and  ready  play  of  voice  which  harmonize 
with  the  quaint  play  of  the  conceit,  the  fitting  expression, 
or  the  harmless  yet  expressive  play  of  the  imagination. 
The  extract  from  Walton  is  introduced  as  a  relief  to  the 
ear  and  voice  from  more  somber  passages. 

2.  Richard  Hooker.  —  Walton. 

"But  the  justifying  of  this  doctrine  did  not  prove  of 
so  bad  consequence,  as  the  kindness  of  Mrs.  Churchman's 
curing  of  his  late  distemper  and  cold ;  for  that  was  so 
gratefully  apprehended  by  Mr.  Hooker,  that  he  thought 
himself  bound  in  conscience  to  believe  all  that  she  said  ;  so 
that  the  good  man  came  to  be  persuaded  by  her,  *  that  he  was 
a  man  of  a  tender  constitution  ;  and  that  it  was  best  for  him 
to  have  a  wife,  that  might  prove  a  nurse  to  him  ;  such  a  one 
as  might  both  prolong  his  life,  and  make  it  more  comfort- 
able ;  and  such  a  one  she  could  and  would  provide  for  him, 
if  he  thought  fit  to  marry.'     And  he,  not  considering  that 


STRESS.  77 

'  the  children  of  this  world  are  wiser  in  their  generation 
than  the  children  of  light,'  but,  like  a  true  Nathaniel,  fear- 
ing no  guile,  because  he  meant  none,  did  give  her  such  a 
power  as  Eleazar  was  trusted  with — you  may  read  it  in  the 
Book  of  Genesis — when  he  was  sent  to  choose  a  wife  for 
Isaac  ;  for  even  so  he  trusted  her  to  choose  for  him,  prom- 
ising upon  a  fair  summons  to  return  to  London,  and  accept 
of  her  choice  ;  and  he  did  so  in  that  or  about  the  year  fol- 
lowing. Now,  the  wife  provided  for  him  was  her  daughter 
Joan,  who  brought  him  neither  beauty  nor  portion  :  and 
for  her  conditions,  they  were  too  like  that  wife's,  which  is 
by  Solomon  compared  to  a  dripping  house  :  so  that  the 
good  man  had  no  reason  to  '  rejoice  in  the  wife  of  his  youth,' 
but  too  just  cause  to  say  with  the  holy  prophet,  'Woe  is 
me,  that  I  am  constrained  to  have  my  habitation  in  the 
tents  of  Kedar  ! ' " 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

STEESS. 

The  proper  definition  of  this  term  is  not  the  one  in 
popular  use,  but  is  more  technical.  Dr.  Eush,  in  his 
"  Philosophy  of  the  Human  Voice,"  uses  the  term  to  denote 
the  character,  degree,  or  mode  of  force,  as  it  touches  dif- 
ferent parts  of  a  syllable.  It  is  most  distinctly  marked  to 
the  ear  on  those  syllables  which  are  emphatic.  Being  char- 
acteristic of  the  feeling  which  in  every  case  instinctively 
secures  its  own  form  of  stress  in  expression,  we  can  not  de- 
part from  the  appointed  mode  without  changing  the  im- 
pression of  feeling.  If  tliat  of  reverence,  for  instance,  is  to 
be  expressed,  the  '^ligli  tide"  of  force  culminates  on  the 
middle  of  each  syllable,  and  the  opening  and  close  of  the 
sound  are  barely  perceptible,  as  in  tlie  musical  "swell." 
Now,  if  we  give  the  percussive  opening,  which  will  be  nat- 


78  ELOCUTION. 

iiral  for  the  utterance  of  animation,  in  the  milder  degrees 
of  force,  or  with  louder  degrees,  for  the  expression  of  an- 
ger, the  reverential  feeling  is  entirely  dissipated.  Or, 
again,  the  tremor  of  timidity  would  entirely  destroy  the 
bold  and  abrupt  utterance  necessary  to  commanding  and 
authoritative  expression.  The  same  principle  holds  good 
in  all  the  forms  of  stress. 

To  discriminate  more  closely  :  The  three  marked  divi- 
sions of  a  syllable  will  furnish  us  with  matter  for  study. 
The  force  may  be  greatest  at  the  beginning,  middle,  or 
close  of  a  sound,  and  the  stress  will  then  be  termed  radical, 
median,  or  vanishing.  There  are,  besides,  combinations  of 
these  forms,  the  radical  and  vanishing  in  the  compound, 
and  all  three  in  the  thorough  stress.  They  may  be  arranged 
in  tabular  form,  with  examples,  as  below  with  the  single  ex- 
clamation "oh  !" 

Openiyig — Radical — o-o-oh  ! 

Middle — Median — o-o-oh  ! 

Close —  Vanishing — o-o-oh  ! 

Opening  and  Close — Compound — o-o-OH  ! 

Opejiing,  Middle,  and  Close — Thorough — o-o-OH  ! 

By  this  table  it  is  intended  to  represent  to  the  eye,  as 
clearly  as  possible,  the  method  of  pronouncing  this  excla- 
mation ''oh!"  so  as  to  illustrate  each  of  the  five  methods 
of  stress.  It  is  to  be  applied  to  every  syllable  of  a  given 
passage,  or  clause,  as  suggested  by  the  thought  or  feeling. 

The  radical  stress  is  used,  in  the  louder  degrees  of  force, 
for  excited  and  impassioned  feeling,  and  with  moderate 
force  for  all  animated  and  inspiriting  expression.  It  is  im- 
portant that  the  public  speaker  should  fix  his  attention 
definitely  and  accurately  on  discerning  the  sparkling  and 
life-giving  effect  of  the  percussive  radical  in  all  clearly 
enunciated  thought.  We  say  thought,  as  distinguished  from 
feeling,  or  even  the  slight  degree  of  the  moral  effect  which 
proceeds  from  some  very  subdued  emotion.  By  the  aid  of 
this  element,  abstract  thought  becomes  enlightened  and 


STRESS.  79 

sympathetically  quickening,  while,  without  it,  lifeless  and 
unmeaning  dullness  would  result.  If  moral  reflections, 
however,  be  included  in  the  thought,  especially  when  tinged 
with  any  feeling  akin  to  regret  or  anything  related  to  pa- 
thos, then  the  percussive  radical  gives  way  to  more  softened 
and  gentler  modes  of  expression. 

The  median  stress  is  the  natural  vehicle  for  conveying 
solemn,  reverential,  sublime,  and  similar  emotions.  Solem- 
nity, whatever  may  be  its  form  in  language,  ceases  to  be 
solemn  under  the  use  of  any  other  form  than  that  of  me- 
dian stress.  Eeverential  language,  deprived  of  this,  will 
arouse  irreverent  emotions.  Sublimity  loses  its  sustained 
grandeur  and  dignity,  and  becomes  brusque  in  sound.  All 
the  other  feelings  which  naturally  require  this  form  of  stress 
are  subject  to  the  same  laws. 

The  vanishing  stress  expresses  the  strongest  determina- 
tion and  resolution,  with  full  voice  and  deliberate  move- 
ment. The  same  stress,  with  lighter  voice  and  quicker 
movement,  expresses  impatience  or  petulance.  The  inter- 
mediate or  moderate  degree  of  this  mode  of  stress  gives 
utterance  to  complaint.  It  is  ruinous  to  the  preacher,  who 
seeks  to  influence  souls  by  every  legitimate  method  pos- 
sible, to  fall  into  any  single,  unvarying  habit  in  the  use  of 
stress.  Yet  the  tone  of  complaint  is  sometimes  carried  to 
absolute  petulance,  through  the  incessant  use  of  the  vanish- 
ing stress.  This  is  no  better  than  the  harshness  of  the 
radical  or  the  weakness  of  the  median  when  continually 
used.  Every  such  fault  prevents  the  sympathetic  response 
to  the  demands  of  varied  feeling,  which  the  minister  of  the 
Divine  "Word  is  constantly  striving  to  evoke  in  the  delivery 
of  his  message. 

In  the  compound  stress  we  find  the  expression  of  sur- 
prise and  contempt,  for  which  there  is,  of  course,  very  little 
use  in  the  pulpit.  There  is,  however,  an  occasional  demand 
in  the  utterance  of  indignant  astonishment,  and  then,  to 
make  it  truly  expressive  of  this  complex  feeling,  the  open- 


80  ELOCUTIOK 

ing  and  close  of  each  syllable  must  receive  a  strongly  marked 
stress.  Let  the  student  utter  the  exclamations,  "  Indeed  ! " 
"What !"  with  these  feelings,  and  the  two  distinct  move- 
ments on  the  emphatic  syllable  may  be  clearly  perceived. 

The  tlwrougli  stress  differs  from  the  radical  in  being 
sustained  to  the  end  of  the  sound  with  the  same  degree  of 
force  used  at  the  opening,  somewhat  augmented  toward  the 
middle  of  the  syllable.  Bold,  commanding,  and  authorita- 
tive utterances  are  thus  marked.  The  reading  of  the  Deca- 
logue, to  be  authoritative  and  commanding,  naturally  re- 
quires this  form  of  stress.  If  this  portion  of  the  Service 
is  to  convey  the  thought  of  unyielding  laio,  then  the  thor- 
ough 'stress  must  be  its  exponent.  If  disj^laced  by  the 
radical  stress,  the  effect  is  harsh  or  animating,  but  not 
authoritative ;  if  by  the  median,  it  is  gentle  and  persua- 
sive, but  not  commanding. 

To  these  may  be  added  the  tremulous  stress,  where  the 
voice  quivers  along  the  whole  sound.  This  may  occur  in 
times  of  great  religious  excitement,  but  is  seldom  used  in 
the  ordinary  course  of  the  Service. 

RADICAL   STRESS. 

1.  American  Freedom. — Hudson. 

"  The  great  strength  and  worth  of  our  American  free- 
dom lies  in  the  fact  of  its  being  strictly  historical ;  that  is, 
a  matter  of  inheritance  and  prescription.  It  has  come  to 
us,  not  as  a  piece  of  theoretical  joinery,  devised  in  the 
closet  of  speculation,  but  as  a  slow  growth  and  develop- 
ment in  the  domain  of  experience  and  fact ;  for  which  cause 
it  vitally  coheres  and  interworks  with  all  the  habits,  cus- 
toms, institutes,  and  circumstances  of  our  national  life  and 
character.  The  frame  and  model  of  it  were  not  drafted  by 
any  Philosophy  of  the  Eights  of  Man.  Tlie  forces  of  Chris- 
tian Civilization  have  been  working  together  for  ages  in  the 
production  of  it.     It  is  by  their  practical,  not  their  logical 


STUFSS.  81 

consequences,  that  the  principles  of  our  liberty  have  been 
tested  and  established.  The  several  parts  and  organs  of  it 
have  been  adopted  and  settled,  not  as  they  gratified  the 
speculative  understanding,  but  as  they  have  been  put  to 
work,  and  found  to  bear  the  actual  fruits  of  order,  security, 
justice,  and  peace." 

2.  Spriiifj. — Thomson. 

"  The  thrush, 
And  woodlark,  o'er  the  kind-contending  throng 
Superior  heard,  run  through  the  sweetest  length 
Of  notes  ;  when  listening  Philomela  deigns 
To  let  them  joy,  and  purposes,  in  thought 
Elate,  to  make  her  night  excel  their  day. 
The  blackbird  whistles  from  the  thorny  brake  ; 
The  mellow  bullfinch  answers  from  the  grove  ; 
Nor  are  the  linnets,  o'er  the  flowering  furze 
-    Poured  out  profusely,  silent ;  joined  to  these 
Innumerous  songsters,  in  the  freshening  shade 
Of  new-sprung  leaves,  their  modulation  mix 
Mellifluous.     The  jay,  the  rook,  the  daw. 
And  each  harsh  pipe,  discordant  heard  alone. 
Aid  the  full  concert ;  while  the  stockdove  breathes 
A  melancholy  murmur  through  the  whole." 

MEDIAE   STRESS. 

1.  Burial  of  Moses. — C.  F.  Alexander. 

•  •  •  •  • 

*'0  lonely  tomb  in  Moab's  land  ! 
0  dark  Beth-peor's  hill ! 
Speak  to  these  curious  hearts  of  ours. 
And  teach  them  to  be  still : 
God  hath  his  mysteries  of  grace, 
Ways  that  we  can  not  tell  ; 
He  hides  them  deep  like  the  secret  sleep 
Of  him  he  loved  so  well." 


82  ELOCUTION. 

2.  Friar  Lawrence, — Shahespeare. 

*' Heaven  and  yourself 
Had  part  in  this  fair  maid  ;  now  Heaven  hath  all, 
And  all  the  better  is  it  for  the  maid. 
Your  part  in  her  you  could  not  keep  from  death  ; 
But  Heaven  keeps  his  part  in  eternal  life. 
The  most  you  sought  was — her  promotion  ; 
For  'twas  your  heaven,  she  should  be  advanced  ; 
And  weep  ye  now,  seeing  she  is  advanced. 
Above  the  clouds,  as  high  as  heaven  itself  ? 
0,  in  this  love,  you  love  your  child  so  ill. 
That  you  run  mad  seeing  that  she  is  well. 
She's  not  well  married,  that  lives  married  long  ; 
But  she's  best  married,  that  dies  married  young. 
Dry  up  your  tears,  and  stick  your  rosemary 
On  this  fair  corse  ;  and,  as  the  custom  is, 
In  all  her  best  array  bear  her  to  church. 
For  though  fond  nature  bids  us  all  lament. 
Yet  nature's  tears  are  reason's  merriment." 

3.  Little  Nell. — Dichens. 

"  It  was  long  before  the  child  closed  the  window  and 
approached  her  bed.  Again  something  of  the  same  sensa- 
tion as  before — an  invokmtary  chill — a  momentary  feeling 
akin  to  fear — but  vanishing  directly,  and  leaving  no  alarm 
behind.  Again,  too,  dreams  of  the  little  scholar,  of  the 
roof  opening,  and  a  column  of  bright  faces,  rising  far  away 
into  the  sky,  as  she  had  seen  in  some  old  scriptural  picture 
once,  and  looking  down  on  her,  asleep.  It  was  a  sweet  and 
happy  dream.  The  quiet  spot,  outside,  seemed  to  remain 
the  same,  save  that  there  was  music  in  the  air,  and  a  sound 
of  angels'  wings.  After  a  time  the  sisters  came  there,  hand 
n  hand,  and  stood  among  the  graves.  And  then  the  dream 
grew  dim,  and  faded." 


STRESS.  83 


COMPOUND   STKESS. 

Indignation. — Shakespeare. 

"  Shall  one  of  us  that  struck  tlie  foremost  man 
Of  all  this  world,  but  for  supporting  robbers, 
Contaminate  our  fingers  with  base  bribes. 
And  sell  the  mighty  space  of  our  large  honors 
For  so  much  trash  as  may  be  grasped  thus  ? 
I'd  rather  be  a  dog,  and  bay  the  moon, 
Than  siich  a  Roman  ! " — Julius  Ccesar. 

VANISHING    STRESS. 

"How  doth  the  city  sit  solitary,  that  was  full  of  peo- 
ple !  how  is  she  become  as  a  widow  !  she  that  was  great 
among  the  nations,  and  princess  among  the  pi'ovinces,  how 
has  she  become  tributary  !  She  weepeth  sore  in  the  night, 
and  her  tears  are  on  her  cheeks  :  among  all  her  lovers  she 
hath  none  to  comfort  her :  all  her  friends  have  dealt 
treacherously  with  her,  they  are  become  her  enemies.  Ju- 
dah  is  gone  into  captivity  because  of  affliction,  and  because 
of  great  servitude  :  she  dwelleth  among  the  heathen,  she 
findeth  no  rest :  all  her  persecutors  overtook  her  between 
the  straits.  The  ways  of  Zion  do  mourn,  because  none  come 
to  the  solemn  feasts  :  all  her  gates  are  desolate  :  her  priests 
sigh,  her  virgins  are  afflicted,  and  she  is  in  bitterness.  Her 
adversaries  are  the  chief,  her  enemies  prosper  ;  for  the  Lord 
hath  afflicted  her  for  the  multitude  of  her  transgressions  : 
her  children  are  gone  into  captivity  before  the  enemy.  And 
from  the  daughter  of  Zion  all  her  beauty  is  departed  :  her 
princes  are  become  like  harts  that  find  no  pasture,  and  they 
are  gone  without  strength  before  the  pursuer.  Jerusalem 
remembered  in  the  days  of  her  affliction  and  of  her  miseries 
all  her  pleasant  things  that  she  had  in  the  days  of  old,  when 
her  people  fell  into  the  hand  of  the  enemy,  and  none  did 
help  her  :  the  adversaries  saw  her,  and  did  mock  at  her  sab- 


84  ELOCUTION. 

baths.  Jerusalem  hath  grievously  sinned  ;  therefore  she  is 
removed  :  all  that  honored  her  despise  her,  because  they 
have  seen  her  nakedness  :  yea,  she  sigheth,  and  turneth 
backward." — Lam.  i.,  1-8. 

THOKOUGH   STRESS. 

What  Constitutes  a  State  ? — Sir  William  Jones. 

"  What  constitutes  a  state  ? 

Not  high-raised  battlements  or  labored  mound, 
Thick  wall  or  moated  gate  ; 

Not  cities  proud  with  spires  and  turrets  crowned  ; 
Not  bays  and  broad-armed  ports, 

Where,  laughing  at  the  storms,  rich  navies  ride  ; 
Not  starred  and  spangled  courts. 

Where  low-browed  baseness  wafts  perfume  to  pride. 

"  No  ;  men,  high-minded  men, 

With  powers  as  far  above  dull  brutes  endued, 
In  forest,  brake,  or  den. 

As  beasts  excel  cold  rocks  and  brambles  rude — 
Men  who  their  duties  know. 

But  know  their  rights,  and  knowing,  dare  maintain — 
Prevent  the  long-aimed  blow, 

And  crush  the  tyrant  while  they  rend  the  chain. 

**  These  constitute  a  state  ; 

And  sovereign  law,  that  state's  collected  will, 
O'er  thrones  and  globes  elate 

Sits  empress,  crowning  good,  repressing  ill. 
Smit  by  her  sacred  frown, 

The  fiend,  dissension,  like  a  vapor  sinks  ; 
And  e'en  the  all-dazzling  crown 

Hides  its  faint  rays,  and  at  her  bidding  shrinks.'* 


INFLECTION  OR  SLIDE.  85 

CHAPTER  IX. 

INFLECTION    OK   SLIDE. 

The  impulse  for  expression  proceeds  chiefly  from  feel- 
ing, rather  than  from  thought.  Even  passages  which  ap- 
pear to  be  altogether  unimpassioned  are  delivered  with  a 
desire  to  make  them  known,  so  that  the  impelling  power  is 
more  than  purely  intellectual.  The  study  of  the  use  of  the 
slides  of  the  voice  will  lead  us  naturally  to  the  emotional 
expression  which  they  convey. 

Slides  of  Emotion. — In  the  strongest  degrees  of  feeling 
these  are  very  distinctly  marked  as  compassing  a  full  octave 
in  their  scope.  It  is  only,  however,  in  highly  wrought 
feeling  that  this  occurs.  Indignant  astonisliment,  which 
would  induce  the  upward  slide,  represents  such  a  compass 
of  the  voice  on  an  emphatic  syllable.  For  an  illustration, 
we  will  imagine  that  the  preacher  is  expostulating  with  the 
apathetic  and  the  wavering  in  regard  to  religious  duty.  He 
has  occasion,  we  will  say,  to  repeat  the  excuse  of  the  pro- 
crastinator  not  yet  prepared.  He  rehearses  the  opportuni- 
ties, the  blessings,  the  years  that  have  passed,  the  office  of 
Christ,  the  love  of  God,  and  in  view  of  all  these  considera- 
tions repeats  the  question  with  indignant  astonishment : 
"  Not  yet  prepared  ?  "  And  as  surely  as  he  has  the  feel- 
ing in  full  degree,  just  so  certainly  will  his  voice  slide 
through  the  compass  of  the  rising  octave. 

We  pass  from  such  a  slide  to  one  much  more  frequently 
used,  that  of  the  musical  fifth,  both  upward  and  down- 
Avard.  This  is  characteristic  of  heart-felt  earnestness.  En- 
ergetic feeling  of  all  kinds  requires  this  interval  to  make  it 
truly  expressive.  Feeble  and  plaintive  uses  of  the  voice 
will  be  altogether  lacking  in  the  "earnest"  slide  of  the 
fifth.  It  is  the  language  of  strong  and  emphatic  assertion, 
and  the  leading  element  in  manly  decision  of  expression. 
"  Rhetorical    inquiry "   becomes    impressive   and    forcible 


86  ELOCUTION. 

under  such  delivery,  Avhile  strength  of  language,  and  even 
energy  of  feeling,  are  completely  hindered  if  it  be  lacking. 
The  student  who  is  seeking  to  develop  all  utterance  of 
manly  pi'operties  of  delivery  must  give  much  time  and 
attention  to  this  natural  and  expressive  element.  It  is  like 
the  bold  action  impelled  by  bodily  vigor — striking,  full  of 
meaning,  and  appropriate.  No  speaker  can  be  command- 
ing in  his  vocal  effects  without  the  use  of  this  interval  in 
the  slides  of  his  voice.  He  may  be  otherwise  pleasing,  at- 
tractive, and  expressive,  as  a  speaker,  but  without  it  he  can 
not  produce  the  first  manly  element  of  energetic  expres- 
sion. 

There  is  an  unimpassioned  delivery,  where  the  thought 
is  not  quickened  into  energy,  which  finds  utterance  through 
the  rise  and  fall  of  the  musical  third.  The  purpose  of  this 
seems  to  be  the  expression  of  quiet  and  unemphatic  com- 
munication. Proper  mastery  of  this  slide  imparts  agreea- 
ble variety  to  reading  and  speaking.  If  it  be  excessive  in 
its  interval,  the  expression  becomes  too  emotional,  and  if  it 
be  insufficient,  a  suppressed  or  monotonous  effect  is  pro- 
duced. It  belongs  to  all  spirited  communication,  and  the 
absence  of  it  is  a  very  serious  defect. 

From  a  consideration  of  the  general  drift  of  the  slide 
we  may  pass  to  its  use  in  clauses  and  phrases.  In  all  cheer- 
ful, animated,  and  agreeable  expression,  if  these  are  the 
dominant  elements,  the  voice,  through  whatever  interval, 
slides  upward.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  gravity,  solemnity, 
emphatic  and  commanding  expression  be  aimed  at,  the  fall- 
ing slide  becomes  the  chief  medium.  Earnest  supplication 
naturally  throws  the  voice  downward,  in  its  general  course, 
as  unemphatic  communication  lifts  the  voice  on  the  upward 
slide.  But  the  varieties  are  as  great  as  the  changes  of 
thought  and  its  grammatical  forms  of  expression,  so  that 
every  sentence  becomes  properly  a  separate  study. 

Rise  and  Fall  of  the  Second. — As  the  more  marked  in- 
tervals of  the  third,  fifth,  and  octave  are  especially  charac- 


INFLECTION  OR  SLIDE.  87 

terized  at  the  pauses  of  the  Yoice,  so  the  still  more  con- 
tracted drift  of  unimpassioned  sentences  limits  the  pas- 
sages between  the  pauses  and  the  emphatic  words  by  the 
rise  and  fall  of  the  second,  as  from  do  to  re,  re  to  do,  on  the 
musical  scale.  Where  this  varied  and  natural  play  of  the 
voice  is  wanting  we  have  dull  and  monotonous  expression 
as  the  result. 

The  four  preceding  divisions  give  the  voice  an  emotional 
and  intellectual  expressiveness,  to  which  it  is  ever  a  pleas- 
ure to  listen.  Carried  to  excess  they  beget  a  mechanical 
and  unnatural  vivacity,  which  has  no  place  in  natural  dis- 
course. They  are  then  in  oratory  what  excessive  spright- 
liness  would  be  to  manner  in  the  social  circle.  AVhile  avoid- 
ing the  fault  of  unmeaning  sameness,  therefore,  we  must 
also  escape  an  equally  meaningless  variety  in  the  use  of  the 
slides. 

TJie  3Ionotone.  —  Like  the  recitative  music,  this  sus- 
tained effort  in  the  delivery  of  the  voice  is,  at  times,  the 
only  mode  appropriate.  Wherever  majesty,  dignity,  sub- 
limity, mystery,  or  awe,  separately  or  combined,  find  utter- 
ance, there  the  superior  weight  of  the  feeling  tends  to 
more  or  less  repetition  of  the  same  note.  In  the  grandeur, 
sublimity,  and  awe  of  several  of  the  descriptive  passages  of 
the  Revelation,  the  ordinary  varieties  of  inflection  destroy 
all  the  mystery  and  the  vision-like  effect  of  the  narrative. 
The  cause  of  this  sustained  effort  is,  unquestionably,  the 
unusual  weight  and  depth  of  feeling,  which  prevents  the 
elastic  play  of  the  muscles  and  confines  the  voice  to  its  sim- 
plest intervals.  It  should  be  observed,  however,  that  the 
monotone,  a  legitimate  mode  of  utterance  in  its  place,  is 
vastly  different  from  the  inexpressive  and  inappropriate 
effect  of  monotony. 

The  Semitone. — This  slide  is  produced  by  carrying  the 
voice  half  a  note  short  of  the  ordinary  intervals  by  which 
the  previously  described  degrees  of  feeling  are  expressed. 
It  is  the  medium  of  pathos,  with  all  its  kindred  shades  of 


88  ELOCUTION. 

feeling,  and  the  natural  expression  of  marked  degrees  of 
tenderness.  When  used  in  excess  it  is  characterized  as  the 
whine,  and  the  reader  of  quick  susceptibility  and  extreme 
sensitiveness  should  be  on  his  guard,  lest  that  which  is  nat- 
urally expressive  of  tenderest  feeling  become  the  habitual 
accompaniment  of  the  voice  in  all  forms  of  expression.  It 
is  simply  pitiable  to  hear  the  plaintive  effect  of  the  minor 
intervals  sounding  through  some  majestic  passages  of  the 
Church  Service,  and  the  lachrymose  style  of  some  speakers 
suggests  merely  a  weakness  and  effeminacy  which  are  out  of 
character  with  manly  and  forcible  expression  of  thought 
or  feeling.  The  clergyman  who  reported  that  his  friends 
assured  him  that  he  was  "happy  at  funerals  "  must  have 
been  one  of  the  many  who  are  addicted  to  the  unduly  pa- 
thetic effect  of  the  minor  intervals. 

There  is  still  another  use  of  slide  called  the  circumflex 
or  ivave.  This  is  used  in  a  train  of  thought  which  involves 
close  and  distinctive  reasoning.  It  is  employed  also  in 
irony  and  sarcasm.  When  a  deeper  meaning  is  given  to  a 
word  than  is  found  in  its  ordinary  significance,  the  circum- 
flex serves  the  same  purpose  in  vocalizing  that  italicizing 
does  in  printing — e.  g.,  "Let  any  man  resolve  to  do  right 
noiu,  leaving  then  to  do  as  it  can,  and  he  will  never  do 
wrong."  The  taunting  cry  of  Elijah  to  the  priests  of  Baal, 
"Cry  aloud,  for  he  is  a  god,"  etc.,  would  be  a  good  exam- 
ple of  the  circumflex  of  irony. 

It  should  be  observed  that  much  of  the  vivacity  and 
effectiveness  of  speech  comes  from  variety  in  the  slides. 
We  have  in  every  clause  slight  variations  of  slide,  giving 
musical  and  rhythmical  effect  to  the  ear.  To  read  or  speak 
without  this  natural  play  of  the  voice  deprives  it  of  flexi- 
bility and  of  all  animation.  In  antithetical  clauses  and 
sentences,  the  answering  of  the  melody  in  the  contrasted 
slides  is  very  marked,  and,  to  give  both  members  of  the 
antithesis  the  same  slide  will  almost  assuredly  destroy  the 
contrast  in  the  meaning.    The  inexpressive  reader  or  speak- 


IXFLECTTOX  OR  SLIDE.  89 

er  delivers  his  thought  with  humdrum  sameness  in  all 
the  slides.  To  form  the  incessant  habit  of  using  the  up- 
ward or  downward  slide  only  is  destructive  to  expressive 
variety  in  meaning,  and  produces  disagreeable  monotony. 
If,  for  instance,  the  speaker  gives  the  downward  inflections 
constantly,  it  will  render  his  style  unsympathetic,  severe, 
and  dogmatic.  If  he  inclines  to  the  rising  inflection,  as  a 
habit,  he  loses  all  the  emphatic  effects  which  belong  to  the 
falling  slide.  The  variety  here  suggested  is  what  makes  it 
so  agreeable  to  listen  to  the  conversation  of  some  people, 
and  the  absence  of  it  what  renders  the  vocal  effect  of  the 
conversation  of  others  so  intolerable. 

There  are  natural  laws  governing  the  use  of  slides  which 
are  almost  universally  established.  The  expressive  and 
melodious  delivery  of  a  thought  in  a  complete  sentence 
has  one  expressive  method  above  all  others.  If  we  agree  in 
the  interpretation  of  the  meaning  of  the  language,  there 
will  be  found  the  same  harmony  in  its  vocal  expression  in 
the  slides  of  the  voice.  The  author  once  had  occasion  to 
satisfy  his  own  ear  in  the  intonations  of  a  sentence,  and, 
arranging  the  test-exercise  in  such  a  way  that  his  class  of 
twenty  theological  students  could  not  be  imitating  one  an- 
other, he  found  that  they  all  agreed  in  the  meaning,  and 
nineteen  out  of  twenty  gave  precisely  the  same  inflections. 
If  we  should  take  the  well-known  sentence  from  Patrick 
Henry,  "It  is  natural  for  man  to  indulge  in  the  illusions 
of  hope,"  and  deliver  it  with  the  intention  of  emphasizing 
the  thought  that  it  is  native  to  man  to  hope,  and  that  hope 
is  delusive,  we  should  find  the  falling  slide  upon  "natural," 
a  slight  lifting  of  the  voice  on  "man"  and  "indulge,"  on 
the  word  "illusions"  the  rising  circumflex,  a  rising  upon 
"of,"  and  the  descending  slide  of  completed  sense  upon 
"hope."  Nineteen  out  of  every  twenty  readers  would  give 
the  inflections  above  indicated,  provided  they  accepted  pre- 
cisely the  same  meaning.  This  is  simply  referred  to  as 
one  of  countless  instances  where  the  sentence  has  a  fixed 


90  ELOCUTION. 

law  in  its  expression.  But,  as  the  law  must  be  adapted  to 
the  meaning  in  evei-y  case,  it  would  multiply  rules  too 
numerously  to  attempt  any  detailed  arrangement  of  them. 
In  every  case  let  the  reader  satisfy  himself  that  he  is  in  full 
jDOSsession  of  the  meaning,  and  that  he  is  primarily  striv- 
ing to  convey  that  meaning,  then,  in  all  probability,  the 
slides  will  be  correct,  natural,  and  expressive.  But  there 
is  matter  enough  for  years  of  profitable  study  and  close  ob- 
servation for  any  public  speaker  who  will  give  attention  to 
the  subject. 

Oftentimes  the  inflection  is  the  leading  effect  in  the  in- 
terpretation of  the  language  vocally. 

The  falling  inflection  through  the  "earnest"  slide — 
that  is  to  say,  the  fifth — is  essential  to  the  expression  of 
scorn  and  irony  contained  in  the  forty-fourth  chapter  of 
Isaiah.  The  prophet  describes  the  futility  and  the  folly  of 
making  a  god  of  a  graven  image,  and  falling  down  unto  it 
and  worshipping  it.  He  shows  that  the  molten  image  is 
made  by  human  hands,  the  smith  fashioning  it  with  ham- 
mers, and  that  the  graven  image  is  from  the  stock  of  a  tree, 
which  the  carpenter  makes  after  the  figure  of  a  man.  The 
same  fuel  is  used  for  the  fire,  and  to  this  the  idolater  prays  : 
"  Deliver  me,  for  thon  art  my  god."  It  is  of  this  that  the 
prophet  is  intolerant,  and  scornfully  and  ironically  exposes 
the  unreasonableness  and  wickedness  of  the  deceived  heart 
of  the  idolater.  To  read  it  with  the  ordinary  unimpas- 
sioned  slide  is  to  make  the  statements  as  though  they  were 
ace 3p ted  truth,  instead  of  the  emphatic  irony  which  is  im- 
plied in  the  constant  downward  slide  of  the  "earnest" 

fifth. 

1.  Irony  and  Scorn. 

"They  that  make  a  graven  image  are  all  of  them  vanity; 
and  their  delectable  things  shall  not  profit ;  and  they  are 
their  own  witnesses  ;  they  see  not,  nor  know,  that  they  may 
be  ashamed.  Who  hath  formed  a  god,  or  molten  a  graven 
image,  that  is  profitable  for  nothing  ?     Behold,  all  his  fel- 


mFLECTION'  OR  SLIDE.  91 

lows  shall  be  ashamed:  and  the  workmen,  they  are  of  men: 
let  them  all  be  gathered  together,  let  them  stand  lip ;  yet 
they  shall  fear,  and  they  shall  be  ashamed  together.  The 
smith  with  the  tongs  both  worketh  in  the  coals,  and  fash- 
ioneth  it  with  hammers,  and  worketh  it  w^ith  the  strength 
of  his  arms  :  yea,  he  is  hungry,  and  his  strength  faileth  : 
he  drinketh  no  water,  and  is  faint.  The  carpenter  stretch- 
eth  ont  his  riile  :  he  marketh  it  out  with  a  line  ;  he  fitteth 
it  out  with  planes,  and  he  marketh  it  out  with  the  compass, 
and  maketh  it  after  the  figure  of  a  man,  according  to  the 
beauty  of  a  man,  that  it  may  remain  in  the  house.  He 
heweth  him  down  cedars,  and  taketh  the  cypress  and  the 
oak,  which  he  strengtheneth  for  himself  among  the  trees 
of  the  forest :  he  planteth  an  oak,  and  the  rain  doth  nour- 
ish it.  Then  shall  it  be  for  a  man  to  burn  :  for  he  will 
take  thereof,  and  warm  himself  ;  yea,  he  kindleth  it,  and 
baketh  bread  ;  yea,  he  maketh  a  god,  and  worshipeth  it ; 
he  maketh  it  a  graven  image,  and  faileth  down  thereto. 
He  burnetii  part  thereof  in  the  fire  ;  with  part  thereof  he 
eateth  flesh ;  he  roasteth  roast,  and  is  satisfied ;  yea,  he 
warmeth  himself,  and  saith.  Aha  !  I  am  wdrra,  I  have 
seen  the  fire  :  and  the  residue  thereof  he  maketh  a  god, 
even  his  graven  image  :  he  faileth  down  unto  it,  and  wor- 
shipeth it,  and  prayeth  unto  it,  and  saith.  Deliver  me, 
for  thou  art  my  god.  They  have  not  known  nor  under- 
stood :  for  he  hath  shiit  their  eyes  that  they  can  not  see  ; 
and  their  hearts,  that  they  can  not  understand.  And  none 
considereth  in  his  h^art,  neither  is  there  knowledge  nor 
understanding  to  say,  I  have  burned  part  of  it  in  the  fire  ; 
yea,  also,  I  have  baked  bread  upon  the  coals  thereof ;  I 
have  roasted  flesh,  and  eaten  it :  and  shall  I  make  the  resi- 
due thereof  an  abomination  ?  shall  I  fall  down  to  the  stock 
of  a  tree  ?  He  feedeth  on  ashes  :  a  deceived  heart  hath 
turned  him  aside,  that  he  can  not  deliver  his  soul,  nor 
say,  Is  there  not  a  lie  in  my  right  hand  ? " — Isaiah,  xliv., 
9-20. 


92  ELOCUTION. 

Indignant  expostulation  and  authoritative  proclamation 
of  the  law  require  in  their  ex2)ression  the  "earnest"  down- 
ward slide. 

2.  "  Yet  ye  say,  The  way  of  the  Lord  is  not  equal. 
Hear  now,  0  house  of  Israel ;  is  not  my  way  equal  ?  Are 
not  your  ways  unequal  ?  When  a  righteous  man  turneth 
away  from  his  righteousness,  and  committeth  iniquity,  and 
dieth  in  them  ;  for  his  iniquity  that  he  hath  done  shall  he 
die.  Again,  when  the  wicked  man  turneth  away  from  his 
wickedness  that  he  hath  committed,  and  doeth  that  which 
is  lawful  and  right,  he  shall  save  his  soul  alive.  Because 
he  considereth,  and  turneth  away  from  all  his  transgres- 
sions that  he  hath  committed,  he  shall  surely  live,  he  shall 
not  die.  Yet  saith  the  house  of  Israel,  The  way  of  the 
Lord  is  not  equal.  0  house  of  Israel,  are  not  my  ways 
equal  ?  are  not  your  ways  unequal  ?  Therefore  I  will 
judge  you,  0  house  of  Israel,  every  one  according  to  his 
ways,  saith  the  Lord  God.  Repent,  and  turn  yourselves 
from  all  your  transgressions  ;  so  iniquity  shall  not  be  your 
rviin.  Cast  away  from  you  all  your  transgressions,  where- 
by ye  have  transgressed  ;  and  make  you  a  new  heart  and  a 
new  spirit:  for  why'  will  ye  die,  0  house  of  Israel  ?  For 
I  have  no  pleasure  in  the  death  of  him  that  dieth,  saith  the 
Lord  God  :  wherefore  tiirn  yourselves,  and  live  ye." — 
Ez.  xviii.,  25-32. 

In  the  Third  Commandment,  the  downward  slide  with 
emphasis  upon  '*  vain  "  and  "  guiltless  "  renders  these  words 
expressive. 

3.  "Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name  of  the  Lord  thy 
God  in  vain  ;  for  the  Lord  will  not  hold  him  guiltless  that 
taketh  His  name  in  vain." 

Tender  expostulation  finds  perfect  exemplification  in  the 
second  Warning  to  the  Holy  Communion.  The  pathos  of 
the  appeal,  the  rebuke,  expostulation,  and  affectionate  com- 
mand, all  take  the  downward  drift  of  the  voice. 

Emphatic  Falling  Slide  of  Enumeration. — "  For  behold 


INFLECTION  OR  SLIDE.  93 

this  selfsame  thing,  that  je  sorrowed  after  a  godly  sort, 
what  carefulness  it  wrought  in  you,  yea,  what  clearing  of 
yourselves,  yea,  "what  indignation,  yea,  what  fear,  yea, 
what  vehement  desire,  yea,  what  zeal,  yea,  what  revenge  ! 
In  all  things  ye  have  approved  yourselves  to  be  clear  in  this 
matter. — II.  Cor.  vii.,  11. 

4.  — "  The  Lord's  Supper:  unto  which,  in  God's  behalf, 
I  bid  you  all  who  are  here  present,  and  beseech  you,  for  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ's  sake,  that  ye  will  not  refuse  to  come 
thereto,  being  so  lovingly  called  and  bidden  by  God  him- 
self. Ye  know  how  grievous  and  unkind  a  thing  it  is, 
when  a  man  hath  prepared  a  rich  feast,  decked  his  table 
with  all  kind  of  provision,  so  that  there  lacketh  nothing 
but  the  guests  to  sit  down ;  and  yet  they  who  are  called 
(without  any  cause)  most  unthankfully  refuse  to  come. 
Which  of  you  in  such  a  case  would  not  be  moved  ?  Who 
would  not  think  a  great  injury  and  wrong  done  unto  him  ? 

•  ■  •  •  •  •  • 

Wherefore,  according  to  mine  office,  I  bid  you,  in  the 
name  of  God,  I  call  you  in  Christ's  behalf,  I  exhort  you, 
as  ye  love  your  own  salvation,  that  ye  will  be  j^artakers  of 
this  holy  Communion." 

The  earnest  interrogation  in  the  following  passage 
from  Jeremiah,  vii.,  9-11,  is  expressed  by  the  upward 
slide  : 

5.  "Will  ye  steal,  murder,  and  commit  adultery,  and 
swear  falsely,  and  burn  incense  unto  Baal,  and  walk  after 
other  gods  whom  ye  know  not ;  and  come  and  stand  before 
me  in  this  house,  which  is  called  by  My  Name,  and  say, 
We  are  delivered  to  do  all  these  abominations  ?  Is  this 
house,  which  is  called  by  My  Name,  become  a  den  of  rob- 
bers in  your  eyes  ?  Behold,  even  I  have  seen  it,  saitli  the 
Lord." 

Argumentative  interrogation  has  the  same  rising  slide  : 

6.  "Are  all  apostles  ?  are  k\\  prophets  ?  are  5.11  teach- 
ers ?  are  ^11  workers  of  miracles  ?     Have  Till  the  gifts  of 


94  ELOCUTION. 

healing  ?  do  dll  speak  with  tongues  ?  do  all  interpret  ?  " — 
II.  Cor.  xii.,  29,  30. 

Indignant  address,  whether  in  the  declarative  or  inter- 
rogative form,  has  both  the  rising  and  falling  slide,  through 
the  interval  of  the  fifth. 

7.  "Is  it  such  a  fast  that  I  have  chosen  ?  a  day  for  a 
man  to  afflict  his  soul  ?  Is  it  to  bow  down  his  head  as  a 
bulrush,  and  to  spread  sackcloth  and  ashes  under  him  ? 
wilt  thou  call  this  a  fast  and  an  acceptable  day  unto  the 
Lord  ?  Is  not  this  the  fast  that  I  have  chosen  ?  to  loose 
the  bands  of  wickedness,  to  undo  the  heavy  burdens,  and 
to  let  the  oppressed  go  free,  and  that  ye  break  every  yoke  ? 
Is  it  not  to  deal  thy  bread  to  the  hungry,  and  that 
thou  bring  the  poor  that  are  cast  out  to  thy  house  ?  when 
thou  seest  the  naked,  that  thou  cover  him  ;  and  that  thou 
hide  not  thyself  from  thine  own  flesh?" — Isaiah,  Iviii., 
5-7. 

The  unimpassioned  slides  of  the  voice  are  chiefly  for 
argumentative  declaration  and  hortatory  effect,  where 
thought  is  aroused  and  enforced,  rather  than  the  impulses 
of  feeling. 

8.  "I  say  then.  Have  they  stumbled  that  they  should 
fall  ?  God  forbid  :  but  rather  through  their  fall  salva- 
tion is  come  unto  the  Gentiles,  for  to  provoke  them  to 
jealousy.  Now,  if  the  fall  of  them  be  the  riches  of  the 
world,  and  the  diminishing  of  them  the  riches  of  the  Gen- 
tiles ;  how  much  more  their  fullness  ?  For  I  speak  to  you 
Gentiles,  inasmuch  as  I  am  the  apostle  of  the  Gentiles,  I 
magnify  mine  office  :  if  by  any  means  I  may  provoke  to 
emulation  them  which  are  my  flesh,  and  might  save  some 
of  them.  For  if  the  casting  away  of  them  be  the  recon- 
conciling  of  the  world,  what  shall  the  receiving  of  them 
be  but  life  from  the  dead  ?  For  if  the  first  fruit  be  holy, 
the  lump  is  also  holy  :  and  if  the  root  be  holy,  so  are  the 
branches.  And  if  some  of  the  branches  be  broken  off, 
and  thou,   being  a  wild  olive  tree,  wert  graffed  in  among 


INFLECTION  Ok  SLIDE.  95 

them,  and  with  them  partakest  of  the  root  and  fatness  of 
the  olive-tree ;  boast  not  against  the  branches.  But  if 
thou  boast,  thou  bearest  not  the  root,  but  the  root  thee. 
Thou  wilt  say  then,  The  branches  were  broken  otf,  that  I 
might  be  graffed  in.  Well  ;  because  of  unbelief  they  were 
broken  off,  and  thou  standest  by  faith.  Be  not  high-mind- 
ed, but  fear  :  for  if  God  sjjared  not  the  natural  branches, 
take  heed  lest  he  also  spare  not  thee.  Behold  there- 
fore the  goodness  and  severity  of  God  ;  on  them  which  fell, 
severity  ;  but  toward  thee,  goodness,  if  thou  continue  in  his 
goodness  :  otherwise  thou  also  shalt  be  cut  off.  And  they 
also,  if  they  abide  not  still  in  unbelief,  shall  be  graffed 
in  :  for  God  is  able  to  graff  them  in  again." — Rom.  xi., 
11-23. 

9.  "Are  they  Hebrews  ?  so  am  t.  Are  they  Israelites  ? 
so  am  1.  Are  they  the  seed  of  Abraham  ?  so  am  t.  Are 
they  ministers  of  Christ  ?  (I  speak  as  a  fool,)  I  am  more  ; 
in  labors  more  abundant,  in  stripes  above  measure,  in  pris- 
ons more  frequent,  in  deaths  oft.  Of  the  Jews  five  times 
received  I  forty  stripes  save  one.  Thrice  was  I  beaten  with 
rods,  once  was  I  stoned,  thrice  I  suffered  shipwreck,  a 
night  and  a  day  I  have  been  in  the  deep  ;  in  joiirneyings 
often,  in  perils  of  waters,  in  perils  of  robbers,  in  perils  by 
mine  own  countrymen,  in  perils  by  the  heathen,  in  perils 
in  the  city,  in  perils  in  the  wilderness,  in  perils  in  the  sea, 
in  perils  among  false  brethren  ;  in  Aveariness  and  painful- 
ness,  in  watchings  often,  in  hunger  and  thirst,  in  fastings 
often,  in  cold  and  nakedness.  Beside  those  things  that 
are  without,  that  which  cometh  upon  me  daily,  the  care  of 
all  the  churches.  Who  is  weak,  and  i  am  not  weak  ?  who 
is  offended,  and  1  burn  not  ?"— II.  Cor.  xi.,  22-29. 

10.  "  But  in  all  things  api^roving  ourselves  as  the  min- 
isters of  God,  in  much  patience,  in  afflictions,  in  necessi- 
ties, in  distresses.  In  stripes,  in  imprisonments,  in  tu- 
mults, in  labors,  in  watchings,  in  fastings  ;  By  piireness, 
by  knowledge,  by  long  suffering,  by  kindness,  by  the  Holy 


96  ELOCUTION. 

Ghost,  by  love  unfeigned.  By  the  word  of  triUh,  by  the 
power  of  God,  by  the  armor  of  righteousness  on  the  right 
hand  and  on  the  left,  by  honor  and  dishonor,  by  evil  report 
and  good  report :  as  deceivers  and  yet  true  ;  as  unknown, 
and  yet  well  known  ;  as  dying,  and,  behold,  Ave  live  ;  as 
chastened,  and  not  killed  ;  as  sorrowful,  yet  alway  rejoic- 
ing ;  as  poor,  yet  making  many  rich  ;  as  having  nothing, 
and  yet  possessing  all  things." — II.  Cor.  vi.,  4-10. 

11.  "  Take  heed  that  ye  do  not  your  alms  before  men, 
to  be  seen  of  them  :  otherwise  ye  have  no  reward  of  your 
Father  which  is  in  heaven.  Therefore  when  thou  doest 
thine  alms,  do  not  sound  a  trumpet  before  thee,  as  the 
hypocrites  do  in  the  synagogues  and  in  the  streets,  that 
they  may  have  glory  of  men.  Verily  I  say  unto  you.  They 
have  their  reward.  But  when  thou  doest  alms,  let  not  thy 
l^ft  hand  know  what  thy  right  hand  doeth  :  that  thine  alms 
may  be  in  secret :  and  thy  Father  which  seeth  in  secret 
himself  shall  reward  thee  openly.  And  when  thou  prayest, 
thou  shalt  not  be  as  the  hypocrites  are  :  for  they  love  to 
pray  standing  in  the  synagogues  and  in  the  corners  of  the 
streets,  that  they  may  be  seen  of  men.  Verily  I  say  unto  you, 
They  have  their  reward.  But  thou,  when  thou  prayest, 
enter  into  thy  closet,  and  when  thou  has  shut  thy  door, 
pray  to  thy  Father  which  is  in  secret ;  and  thy  Father 
which  seeth  in  secret  shalt  reward  thee  openly.  But  when 
ye  pray,  use  not  vain  repetitions,  as  the  heathen  do  :  for 
they  think  that  they  shall  be  heard  for  their  much  speak- 
ing. Be  not  ye  therefore  like  unto  them  :  for  your  Father 
knoweth  what  things  ye  have  need  of,  before  ye  ask  him. " 
St.  Matt,  vi.,  1-8. 

In  antithetical  passages  the  clauses  are  balanced  by  an- 
swering inflections,  the  first  usually  taking  the  rising  in- 
flection and  the  second  the  falling — both  of  the  unimpas- 
sioned  tliird.  The  sameness  of  the  effect  in  the  repetition 
of  the  inflection  is  relieved  by  changes  m  pitch,  varieties  in 
movement,  and  varied  length  of  the  pauses.     These  changes 


mFLECTION   OR  SLIDE.  97 

render  such  a  passage  as  the  following  expressive,  instead 

of  being  mechanical,  from  the  effect  of  the  mere  repetition 

of  sound  : 

Alternating  Slides. 

12.  "And  besides  this,  giving  all  diligence,  add  to  your 
faith  virtue  ;  and  to  virtue  knowledge  ;  and  to  knowledge, 
temperance  ;  and  to  temperance,  patience  ;  and  to  patience, 
godhness  ;  and  to  godliness,  brotherly  kindness  ;  and  to 
brotherly  kindness,  charity." — II.  Pet.  i.,  5-7. 

''For  I  am  persuaded,  that  neither  death,  nor  life,  nor 
angels,  nor  principalities,  nor  powers,  nor  things  present, 
nor  things  to  come,  nor  height,  nor  depth,  nor  any  other 
creature,  shall  be  able  to  separate  us  from  the  love  of  God, 
which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord." — Rom.  viii.,  38,  39. 

"  To  every  thing  there  is  a  season,  and  a  time  to  every 
purpose  under  the  heaven  :  a  time  to  be  born,  and  a 
time  to  die  ;  a  time  to  plant,  and  a  time  to  pluck  up  that 
which  is  planted  ;  a  time  to  kill,  and  a  time  to  heal ;  a  time 
to  break  down,  and  a  time  to  build  up  ;  a  time  to  weep,  and 
a  time  to  laiigh  ;  a  time  to  moiirn,  and  a  time  to  dance ; 
a  time  to  cast  away  stones,  and  a  time  to  gather  stones  to- 
gether ;  a  time  to  embrace,  and  a  time  to  refrain  from  em- 
bracing ;  a  time  to  get,  and  a  time  to  lose  ;  a  time  to  keep, 
and  a  time  to  cast  away  ;  a  time  to  rend,  and  a  time  to  sew  ; 
a  time  to  keep  silence,  and  a  time  to  speak  ;  a  time  to  love, 
and  a  time  to  hate  ;  a  time  of  war,  and  a  time  of  peace." 
— Eccl.  iii.,  1-8. 

The  antitheses  in  the  Book  of  Proverbs  conform  to  the 
suggestions  given  above,  with  the  occasional  exceptions, 
where  both  members  of  the  antithesis  are  of  solemn  import, 
when  the  falling  inflection  is  used  in  each  of  them. 

The  patlios  in  the  extracts  from  the  Book  of  Genesis 
below  calls  for  the  plaintive  utterance  of  the  semitone — a 
marked  defect  when  misused,  but  properly  employed  if 
sympathetically  expressive. 

13.  **  And  Ileuben  returned  unto  the  pit ;  and,  behold, 


98  ELOCUTION. 

Joseph  was  not  in  the  pit ;  and  he  rent  his  clothes.  And 
he  returned  unto  his  brethren,  and  said,  The  child  is  not ; 
and  I,  whither  shall  I  go  ?  And  they  took  Joseph's  coat, 
and  killed  a  kid  of  the  goats,  and  dipjDed  the  coat  in  the 
blood ;  and  they  sent  the  coat  of  many  colors,  and  they 
brought  it  to  their  father  ;  and  said.  This  have  we  found  : 
know  now  whether  it  be  thy  son's  coat  or  no.  And  he 
knew  it,  and  said.  It  is  my  son's  coat  ;  an  evil  beast  hath 
devoured  him ;  Joseph  is  without  doubt  rent  in  pieces. 
And  Jacob  rent  his  clothes,  and  put  sackcloth  upon  his 
loins,  and  mourned  for  his  son  many  days.  And  all  his 
sons  and  all  his  daughters  rose  up  to  comfort  him  ;  but  he 
refused  to  be  comforted  ;  and  he  said.  For  I  will  go  down 
into  the  grave  unto  my  son  mourning.  Thus  his  father 
wej^t  for  him." — Gen.  xxxvii.,  29-35. 

14.  "And  Jacob  their  father  said  unto  them,  Me  have 
ye  bereaved  of  my  children  :  Joseph  is  not,  and  Simeon  is 
not,  and  ye  will  take  Benjamin  away  :  all  these  things  are 
against  me.  And  Reuben  spake  unto  his  father,  saying, 
Slay  my  two  sons,  if  I  bring  him  not  to  thee  :  deliver  him 
into  my  hand,  and  I  will  bring  him  to  thee  again.  And  he 
said.  My  son  shall  not  go  down  with  you  ;  for  his  brother 
is  dead,  and  he  is  left  alone  :  if  mischief  befall  him  by  the 
way  in  the  which  ye  go,  then  shall  ye  bring  down  my  gray 
hairs  with  sorrow  to  the  grave." — Gen.  xlii.,  36-38. 

The  feeling  of  contrition  contained  in  the  fifth  and 
twelfth  of  the  opening  sentences  for  Daily  Prayer  is  natu- 
rally expressed  by  the  plaintive  voice  of  the  semitone.  In- 
deed, most  of  the  penitential  expressions,  wherever  found, 
require  the  same  minor  intervals  in  the  slide.  This,  of 
course,  would  include  all  but  the  three  opening,  the  fourth, 
and  last  sentences. 

15.  ''I  acknowledge  my  transgressions  ;  and  my  sin  is 
ever  before  me." — Psalm  li.,  3. 

"  I  will  arise,  and  go  to  my  father,  and  will  say  unto 
him,  Father,  I  have  sinned  against  heaven,  and  before  thee, 


INFLECTION  OR  SLIDE.  99 

and  am  no  more  worthy  to  be  called  thy  son." — St.  Luke, 
XV.,  18,  19. 

In  the  deepest  states  of  feeling,  when  the  weight  of  the 
emotion  suppresses  the  ordinary  uses  of  the  voice,  the  sus- 
tained level  of  continued  sound  known  as  the  monotone 
takes  place.  This  may  occur  in  feelings  strongly  contrast- 
ed with  each  other,  as  in  rapture  and  awe.  The  monotone 
is  also  heard  in  profound  solemnity,  reverence,  grandeur, 
and  highly  wrought  poetic  passages. 

16.  "And  there  shall  be  signs  in  the  sun,  and  in  the 
moon,  and  in  the  stars  ;  and  upon  the  earth  distress  of  na- 
tions, with  perplexity  ;  the  sea  and  the  waves  roaring  ;  men's 
hearts  failing  them  for  fefir,  and  for  looking  after  those 
things  which  are  coming  on  the  earth ;  for  the  powers  of 
heaven  shall  be  shaken.  And  then  shall  they  see  the  Son 
of  man  coming  in  a  cloud  with  j)ower  and  great  glory." — 
St.  Luke,  xxi.,  25-27. 

The  monotonous  effect  which  might  be  produced  by  the 
constant  repetition  of  this  inflection  in  the  reading  of  the 
portion  of  Scripture  appointed  for  the  Epistle  for  All 
Saints'  Day,  can  be  varied  by  emphasizing  both  words, 
"twelve"  and  "thousand,"  with  full  length  in  each  case, 
and  the  falling  slide  upon  "thousand"  : 

"And  I  saw  another  angel  ascending  from  the  east, 
having  the  seal  of  the  living  God  ;  and  he  cried  with  a 
loud  voice  to  the  four  angels,  to  whom  it  was  given  to  hiirt 
the  earth  and  the  sea,  saying,  Hurt  not  the  earth,  neither 
the  sea,  nor  the  trees,  till  we  have  sealed  the  servants  of 
our  God  in  their  foreheads.  And  I  heard  the  number  of 
them  which  were  sealed  ;  and  there  were  sealed  an  hundred 
and  forty  and  four  thoiisand,  of  all  the  tribes  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel. 

"  Of  the  tribe  of  Judah  were  sealed  twelve  thoiisand. 

"  Of  the  tribe  of  Reuben  were  sealed  twelve  thousand. 

"  Of  the  tribe  of  Gad  were  sealed  twelve  thousand. 

"  Of  the  tribe  of  Aser  were  sealed  twelve  thousand. 


100  ELOCUTION. 

^'  Of  the  tribe  of  JSTeplitlialim  were  sealed  twelve  thou- 
sand. 

*'  Of  the  tribe  of  Manasses  were  sealed  twelve  thousand. 

"Of  the  tribe  of  Simeon  were  sealed  twelve  thoiisand. 

"  Of  the  tribe  of  Levi  were  sealed  twelve  thousand. 

"  Of  the  tribe  of  Issachar  were  sealed  twelve  thousand. 

*'  Of  the  tribe  of  Zabulon  were  sealed  twelve  thousand. 

"  Of  the  tribe  of  Joseph  were  sealed  twelve  thousand. 

"  Of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin  were  sealed  twelve  thou- 
sand. 

"After  this  I  beheld,  and  15,  a  great  miiltitude,  which 
no  man  could  niimber,  of  all  nations,  and  kindreds,  and 
people,  and  tongues,  stood  before  the  throne,  and  before 
the  Lamb,  clothed  with  white  robes,  and  palms  in  their 
hands ;  and  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying.  Salvation  to 
our  God  which  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  unto  the 
Lamb  !  And  all  the  angels  stood  round  about  the  throne, 
and  about  the  elders,  and  the  four  beasts,  and  fell  before 
the  throne  on  their  faces,  and  worshiped  God,  saying, 
Amen.  Blessing,  and  glory,  and  wisdom,  and  thanksgiv- 
ing, and  honour,  and  p5wer,  and  might,  be  unto  our  God 
for  ever  and  ^ver  !     Amen." — Rev.  vii.,  2-12. 

The  solemnity  and  awe  of  the  Burial  Service,  in  its 
proper  reading,  are  due  to  the  frequent  recurrence  of  this 
slide  throughout  the  greater  part.  In  the  Lesson,  however, 
and  the  prayers,  greater  variety  is  demanded. 

17.  From  the  Burial  Anthem. 

"  Lord,  let  me  know  my  end,  and  the  number  of  my 
days,  that  I  may  be  certified  how  long  I  have  to  live.  Be- 
hold, thou  hast  made  my  days  as  it  were  a  span  long,  and 
mine  age  is  even  as  nothing  in  respect  of  thee  ;  and  verily 
every  man  living  is  altogether  vanity.  For  man  walketh 
in  a  vain  shadow,  and  disquieteth  himself  in  vain  ;  he 
heapeth  up  riches,  and  can  not  tell  who  shall  gather 
them.     And  now.  Lord,  what  is  my  hope  ?    Truly  my 


MOVEMENT.  101 

hope  is  even  in  thee.  Deliver  me  from  all  mine  offences, 
and  make  me  not  a  rebuke  unto  the  foolish.  .  .  .  Thou 
hast  set  our  misdeeds  before  thee,  and  our  secret  sins  in 
the  light  of  thy  countenance.  For  when  thou  art  angry, 
all  our  days  are  gone  ;  we  bring  our  years  to  an  end,  as  it 
■were  a  tfde  that  is  told.  The  dilys  of  our  age  are  three- 
score years  and  ten  ;  and  though  men  be  so  strong  that 
they  come  to  fourscore  years,  yet  is  their  strength  then  but 
labor  and  sorrow,  so  soon  passeth  it  away,  and  we  are  gone. 
So  teach  ns  to  number  our  days,  that  we  may  apply  our 
hearts  unto  wisdom." 


CHAPTER  X. 

MOVEMENT. 

The  rate  or  moyement  must,  of  course,  be  decided  by 
the  character  of  the  thought  or  feeling  to  be  expressed. 
Gravity  of  thought  and  depth  of  feeling  as  certainly  re- 
quire a  slow  movement  as  a  quickening  feeling  demands 
the  reverse.  This  arises  from  the  law  of  the  formation  of 
the  feeling.  If  it  be  gradual,  the  utterance  is  correspond- 
ingly slow.  If  it  be  instantaneous,  the  expression  is  of 
the  same  sudden  character.  Awe,  for  instance,  because  it 
is  very  slowly  developed  into  its  deepest  degree,  can  be 
properly  delivered  only  at  a  slow  rate.  Animation,  on  the 
other  hand,  must  be  quick,  or  it  will  lose  its  true  life.  As 
obvious  as  this  natural  law  is  perceived  to  be,  by  its  mere 
statement,  it  is  constantly  violated  in  poor  speaking. 

A  movement  of  the  voice  at  variance  with  the  feeling 
is  simply  destructive  to  the  existence  of  such  feeling.  It  is 
not  merely  inexpressive  ;  it  is  exhausting  to  tlic  patience  of 
the  hearer,  when  a  movement  that  is  too  slow  takes  the 
place  of  the  quickened  rate,  requisite  to  the  proper  com- 
munication of  all  animated  mental  action. 


102  ELOCUTION. 

An  undeviating  sameness  in  movement,  especially  if  it 
be  slow,  or  even  moderate,  very  seriously  impairs  a  deliv- 
ery otherwise  natural  and  effective.  It  not  merely  empties 
the  style  of  the  feeling  which  should  be  there,  but  is  almost 
equally  destructive  of  the  power  to  impart  connected 
thought  to  the  hearer.  The  impetuosity  which  comes  from 
a  highly  wrought  mental  condition,  a  rapid  succession  of 
ideas,  or  an  eager  desire  to  imprint  the  truth  on  the  hear- 
er's mind,  is  less  objectionable  than  the  sluggish  movement 
of  expressing  dull  and  scanty  thought,  yet,  being  at  vari- 
ance with  nature,  it  makes  a  sacrifice  where  a  gain  might 

be  had. 

1.   The  Uses  of  Knoioledge. — Alison. 

*'  One  great  end  to  which  all  knowledge  ought  to  be  em- 
ployed is  the  welfare  of  humanity.  Every  science  is  the 
foundation  of  some  art  beneficial  to  men  ;  and  while  the 
study  of  it  leads  us  to  see  the  beneficence  of  the  laws  of 
nature,  it  calls  ujjon  us  also  to  follow  the  great  end  of  the 
Father  of  nature,  in  their  employment  and  application. 

"  I  need  not  say  what  a  field  is  thus  opened  to  the 
benevolence  of  knowledge ;  I  need  not  tell  you  that,  in 
every  department  of  learning,  there  is  good  to  be  done  to 
mankind.  I  need  not  remind  you  that  the  age  in  which 
we  live  has  given  us  the  noblest  examples  in  this  kind,  and 
that  science  now  finds  its  highest  glory  in  improving  the 
condition,  or  in  allaying  the  miseries  of  humanity." 

2.   Admonition. — Anonymous. 

"  'Tis  not  in  man 
To  look  unmoved  upon  that  heaving  waste. 
Which,  from  horizon  to  horizon  spread. 
Meets  the  o'erarching  heavens  on  every  side. 
Blending  their  hues  in  distant  faintness  there. 

"  'Tis  wonderful — and  yet,  my  boy,  just  such. 
Is  life.     Life  is  a  sea  as  fathomless. 
As  wide,  as  terrible,  and  yet  sometimes 


MOVEMENT.  103 

As  calm  and  beautiful.     The  light  of  heaven 
Smiles  on  it ;  and  'tis  decked  with  every  hue 
Of  glory  and  of  joy.     Anon  dark  clouds 
Arise  ;  contending  winds  of  fate  go  forth  ; — 
And  Hope  sits  weeping  o'er  a  general  wreck. 

"  And  thou  must  sail  upon  this  sea,  a  long, 
Eventful  voyage.     The  wise  may  suffer  wreck — 
The  foolish  must.     Oh  !  then  be  early  wise  ! 
Learn  from  the  mariner  his  skillful  art 
To  ride  upon  the  waves,  and  catch  the  breeze, 
And  dare  the  threatening  storm,  and  trace  a  path 
'Mid  countless  dangers,  to  the  destined  port 
Unerringly  secure.     Oh  !  learn  from  him 
To  station  quick-eyed  Prudence  at  the  helm, 
To  guard  thy  sail  from  Passion's  sudden  blasts. 
And  make  Keligion  thy  magnetic  guide, 
AVliich,  though  it  trembles  as  it  lowly  lies. 
Points  to  the  light  that  changes  not — in  heaven." 

Moderate  Movement. — It  is  difficult,  by  description, 
even  to  suggest  an  approach  to  the  precise  movement 
properly  termed  moderate,  because,  with  the  same  subject- 
matter,  the  rate  of  delivery  would  vary  according  to  the 
size  of  the  auditorium  where  it  was  to  be  delivered.  A 
large  building  requires  a  pi'oportionally  slow  movement,  as 
compared  witli  a  cliurch  of  smaller  dimensions.  Distinct- 
ness of  articulation  and  other  proprieties  require  this. 
But  the  rate  of  movement  between  that  which  would  be 
recognized  as  slow  or  quick,  yet  slower  than  that  of  ordi- 
nary communication,  would  be  a  safe  standard  to  follow. 
It  implies  deliberation  and  maturity  of  precomposed  thought 
and  a  sufficient  degree  of  seriousness  in  imparting  it.  It 
involves  far  more  than  would  at  first  sight  appear.  For  it 
implies  clearness  of  perception  in  the  thought,  evident 
purpose  in  its  delivery,  a  full  degree  of  self-command,  and 
a  respectful  recognition  of,  or  deferential  regard  for,  the 


104  ELOCUTION. 

hearers  to  whom  the  discourse  is  addressed.  Precipitate 
utterance,  and  irregularity  or  fitfulness  in  the  movement, 
or  an  unnecessary  drawl,  are  all  at  variance  with  these  con- 
siderations. The  following  extract  should  be  read  with 
moderate  movement : 

3.   Church  BcUs.—N.  P.  Willis. 

"  I  know  of  few  things  more  imposing  than  to  walk  in 
the  streets  of  a  city  when  the  peal  of  the  early  bells  is  just 
beginning.  The  deserted  pavements,  the  closed  windows 
of  the  places  of  business,  the  decent  gravity  of  the  solitary 
passenger,  and,  over  all,  the  feeling,  in  your  own  bosom, 
that  the  fear  of  God  is  brooding,  like  a  great  shadow,  over 
the  thousand  human  beings  who  are  sitting  still  in  their 
dwellings  around  you,  were  enough,  if  there  were  no  other 
circumstance,  to  hush  the  heart  into  religious  fear.  But 
when  the  bells  peal  out  suddenly  with  a  summons  to  the 
temple  of  God,  and  their  echoes  roll  on  through  the  deso- 
late streets,  and  we  are  unanswered  by  the  sound  of  any 
human  voice,  or  the  din  of  any  human  occupation,  the 
effect  has  sometimes  seemed  to  me  more  solemn  than  the 
near  thunder." 

Sloiv  Movement. — The  measured  and  deliberate  move- 
ment of  profoundest  thought  and  deep  feeling  is  an  especial 
power,  to  be  under  the  complete  control  of  the  speaker. 
Solemnity  and  all  kindred  feelings  compel  a  measured 
movement,  whose  rate  must  be  gauged  according  to  the 
depth  of  the  emotion.  In  practice,  the  speaker's  ear  should 
be  able  to  mark  the  precise  rate  as  distinctly  as  would  be 
implied  by  the  terms  used  in  music.  Reverence,  to  be 
truly  expressed,  should  retard  the  movement,  at  whatever 
sacrifice  of  the  minutes  devoted  to  Divine  Service.  The 
indecent  haste  and  rapidity  of  some  readers  of  the  Liturgy 
savor  more  of  a  desire  to  reach  the  sermon  than  the  rev- 
erent worship  of  the  God  whom  we  serve.  Familiarity 
with  the  Service  and  its  frequent  repetition  are  very  liable 


MOVEMENT.  105 

to  lead  one  unconsciously  into  irreverence  in  the  expression, 
and  should  be  guarded  against  as  one  of  the  errors  in  the 
careless  use  of  a  precomposed  form.  Extemporized  prayer 
has  no  advantage  in  this  respect,  however,  if  fluency  of 
expression  is  allowed  to  degenerate  into  undue  familiarity 
of  manner. 

The  following  extract,  being,  in  its  degree  of  feeling, 
very  near  the  moderate  movement,  is  placed  first  as  an  ex- 
ample of  the  slow  movement.  The  succeeding  illustrations 
follow  each  other  in  natural  order,  retarding  the  slow  till 
it  reaches  the  slowest  degree  : 

1.  Manfred  {alone). — Byron. 

"  The  stars  are  forth,  the  moon  above  the  tops 
Of  the  snow-shining  mountains.     Beautiful ! 
I  do  remember  me  that  in  my  youth, 
When  I  was  wandering — upon  such  a  night 
I  stood  within  tlie  Coliseum's  wall, 
'Midst  the  chief  relics  of  almighty  Rome  ; 
The  trees  which  grew  along  the  broken  arches 
Waved  dark  in  the  blue  midnight,  and  the  stars 
Shone  through  the  rents  of  ruin  ;  from  afar 
The  watch-dog  bay'd  beyond  the  Tiber  ;  and 
More  near  from  out  the  Csesars'  palace  came 
The  owl's  long  cry,  and,  interruptedly, 
Of  distant  sentinels  the  fitful  song 
Begun  and  died  upon  the  gentle  wind. 
Some  cypresses  beyond  the  time-worn  beach 
Appear'd  to  skirt  the  horizon,  yet  they  stood 
Within  a  bowshot.     Where  the  Caesars  dwelt, 
And  dwell  the  tuneless  birds  of  night,  amidst 
A  grove  which  springs  through  level'd  battlements, 
And  twines  its  roots  with  the  imperial  hearths. 
Ivy  usurps  the  laurel's  place  of  growth  ; 
But  the  gladiator's  bloody  Circus  stands, 
A  noble  wreck,  in  ruined  perfection  ! 


106  ELOCUTION. 

While  Osesar's  chambers,  and  the  Augustan  halls, 
Gi'OYel  on  earth  in  indistinct  decay. 
-    And  thou  didst  shine,  thou  rolling  moon,  upon 
All  this,  and  cast  a  wide  and  tender  light. 
Which  soften'd  down  the  hoar  austerity 
Of  rugged  desolation,  and  fill'd  up. 
As  'twere  anew,  the  gaps  of  centuries  ; 
Leaving  that  beautiful  which  still  was  so. 
And  making  that  which  was  not,  till  the  place 
Became  religion,  and  the  heart  ran  o'er 
With  silent  worship  of  the  great  of  old  ! — 
The  dead,  but  sceptered  sovereigns,  who  still  rule 
Our  spirits  from  their  urns." 

Patlios,  being  a  deeper  feeling  than  that  of  the  tran- 
quillity preceding,  naturally  calls  for  slow  movement. 

2.   The  Captive. — Sterne. 

"I  looked  through  the  twilight  of  the  captive's  grated 
door,  to  take  his  picture. 

"I  beheld  his  body  half  wasted  away  with  long  expec- 
tation and  confinement,  and  felt  what  kind  of  sickness  of 
the  heart  it  is  which  arises  from  hope  deferred.  Upon 
looking  nearer,  I  saw  him  pale  and  feverish  :  in  thirty 
years  the  western  breeze  had  not  once  fanned  his  blood  ; 
he  had  seen  no  sun,  no  moon,  in  all  that  time  :  nor  had  the 
voice  of  friend  or  kinsman  breathed  through  his  lattice  : 
his  children — 

"  But  here  my  heart  began  to  bleed  ;  and  I  was  forced 
to  go  on  with  another  part  of  the  portrait. 

'*  He  was  sitting  upon  the  ground,  upon  a  little  straw, 
in  the  farthest  corner  of  his  dungeon,  which  was  alter- 
nately his  chair  and  his  bed.  A  little  calendar  of  small 
sticks  was  laid  at  the  head,  notched  all  over  with  the  dismal 
days  and  nights  he  had  passed  there  ;  he  had  one  of  these 
little  sticks  in  his  hand,  and  with  a  rusty  nail  he  was  etch- 
ing another  day  of  misery  to  add  to  the  heap.     As  I  dark- 


MO  VEMENT.  10 


,>T 


ened  the   little  light  he  had,  he  lifted  up  a  hojDeless  eye 

toward  the  door,  then  cast  it  down,  shook  his  head,  and 

went  on  with   his  work  of  affliction.     I  heard  his  chains 

upon  his   legs,  as  he   turned  his   body  to   lay  his   little 

stick  upon  the  bundle.     He  gave  a  deep  sigh ;  I  saw  the 

iron  enter  into  his  soul.     I  burst  into  tears.     I  could  not 

sustain  the  picture  of  confinement  which  my  fancy  had 

drawn." 

3.   Thanatojjsis. — Bryaiit. 

"  So  live,  that  when  thy  summons  comes  to  Join 
The  innumerable  caravan,  that  moves 
To  that  mysterious  realm,  w^hcre  each  shall  take 
His  chamber  in  the  silent  halls  of  death. 
Thou  go  not,  like  the  quarry  slave  at  night, 
Scourged  to  his  dungeon,  but,  sustained  and  soothed 
By  an  unfaltering  trust,  approach  thy  grave. 
Like  one  who  wraps  the  drapery  of  his  couch 
About  him,  and  lies  down  to  pleasant  dreams." 

4.  Paradise  Lost. — Milton. 

"  Thee,  Father,  first  they  sung,  omnipotent. 
Immutable,  immortal,  infinite. 
Eternal  King  :  Thee,  Author  of  all  being, 
Fountain  of  light,  thyself  invisible 
Amidst  the  glorious  brightness  where  Thou  sitt'st 
Throned  inaccessible,  but  when  Thou  shad'st 
The  full  blaze  of  thy  beams,  and,  through  a  cloud 
Drawn  round  about  Thee,  like  a  radiant  shrine. 
Dark  with  excessive  bright,  thy  skirts  appear. 
Yet  dazzle  Heaven  that  brightest  seraphim 
Approach  not,  but  with  both  wings  veil  their  eyes." 

The  extract  from  the  Baptismal  Service  calls  for  the 
natural  transition  from  the  ''moderate"  movement  to  the 
"slow,"  in  passing  from  the  address  to  the  sponsors  to  the 
solemn  demands  of  the  Questions  and  the  sign  of  the  en- 
grafting into  the  covenant. 


108  ELOCUTION. 

5.  "  Dearly  beloyed,  ye  have  brought  this  Child  here  to 
be  baptized  ;  ye  have  prayed  that  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
would  vouchsafe  to  receive  him,  to  release  him  from  sin,  to 
sanctify  him  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  to  give  him  the  kingdom 
of  heaven,  and  everlasting  life.  Ye  have  heard  also  that  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  hath  promised  in  his  Gospel  to  grant  all 
these  things  that  ye  have  prayed  for :  which  promise  he, 
for  his  part,  will  most  surely  keep  and  perform. 

"Wherefore,  after  this  promise  made  by  Christ,  this 
Infant  must  also  faithfully,  for  his  part,  promise  by  you 
that  are  his  sureties  (until  he  come  of  age  to  take  it  upon 
himself)  that  he  will  renounce  the  devil  and  all  his  works, 
and  constantly  believe  God's  holy  Word,  and  obediently 
keep  his  commandments. 

"  I  demand  therefore, 

"Dost  thou,  in  the  name  of  this  Child,  renounce  the 
devil  and  all  his  works,  the  vain  pomp  and  glory  of  the  world, 
with  all  covetous  desires  of  the  same,  and  the  sinful  desires 
of  the  flesh,  so  that  thou  wilt  not  follow  nor  be  led  by  them  ? 

" Ansiver.  I  renounce  them  all;  and,  by  God's  help, 
will  endeavor  not  to  follow,  nor  be  led  by  them. 

"  Minister.  Dost  thou  believe  all  the  Articles  of  the 
Christian  Faith,  as  contained  in  the  Apostles'  Creed  ? 

"  A^isiver.  I  do. 

^'Minister.  Wilt  thou  be  baptized  in  this  Faith  ? 

"  Ansiver.  That  is  my  desire. 

"Minister.  Wilt  thou  then  obediently  keep  God's  holy 
will  and  commandments,  and  walk  in  the  same  all  the  days 
of  thy  life  ? 

"  Atisiver.   I  will,  by  God's  help. 

"  We  receive  this  Child  into  the  congregation  of  Christ's 
flock  ;  and  do  sign  him  with  the  sign  of  the  Cross,  in  token 
that  hereafter  he  shall  not  be  ashamed  to  confess  the  faith 
of  Christ  crucified,  and  manfully  to  fight  under  his  ban- 
ner, against  sin,  the  world,  and  the  devil ;  and  to  continue 


MO  VEMENT.  109 

Christ's  faithful  soldier  and  servant  unto  his  life's  end. 
Amen." 

In  the  reading  of  the  first  of  the  "  Sentences  "  of  Daily 
Prayer,  if  the  reader  is  to  utter  the  words  as  actually  in  the 
Lord's  presence,  and  is  to  impress  his  fellow-worshipers 
that  the  Lord  is  with  them  of  a  truth,  then  he  must  by 
necessity  give  that  gravity  and  solemnity  to  the  movement 
which  alone  can  correspond  with  the  thought. 

6.  "  The  Lord  is  in  his  holy  temple  ;  let  all  the  earth 
keep  silence  before  him." — Hab.  ii.,  20. 

7.  From  the  Burial  Service. — "Man,  that  is  born  of  a 
woman,  hath  but  a  short  time  to  live,  and  is  full  of  misery. 
He  Cometh  up,  and  is  cut  down,  like  a  flower  ;  he  fleeth  as 
it  were  a  shadow,  and  never  continueth  in  one  stay. 

*'In  the  midst  of  life  we  are  in  death  :  of  whom  may 
we  seek  for  succor  but  of  thee,  0  Lord,  who  for  our  sins 
are  justly  displeased  ? 

"  Yet,  0  Lord  God  most  holy,  0  Lord  most  mighty,  0 
holy  and  most  merciful  Saviour,  deliver  us  not  into  the 
bitter  pains  of  eternal  death. 

8.  "1  heard  a  voice  from  heaven,  saying  unto  me.  Write, 
From  henceforth  blessed  are  the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord  : 
even  so  saith  the  Spirit ;  for  they  rest  from  their  labors." — 
Eev.  xiv.,  13. 

The  majesty  of  the  theme  in  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis 
demands  the  "slow"  movement  to  fitly  give  the  character 
of  the  narrative. 

9.  "In  the  beginning  God  created  the  heaven  and  the 
earth.  And  the  earth  was  without  form,  and  void  ;  and 
darkness  was  upon  the  face  of  the  deep.  And  the  Spirit  of 
God  moved  upon  the  face  of  the  waters.  And  God  said, 
Let  there  light :  and  there  was  light.  And  God  saw  tlie 
light,  that  it  was  good  :  and  God  divided  the  light  from  tlie 
darkness.  And  God  called  the  light  Day,  and  the  darkness 
he  called  Night.     And  the  evening  and  the  morning  were 


110  ELOCUTION. 

the  first  day.  And  God  said,  Let  tliere  be  a  firmament 
in  the  midst  of  the  waters,  and  let  it  divide  the  waters 
.from  the  waters.  And  God  made  the  firmament,  and 
divided  the  waters  which  were  nnder  the  firmament  from 
the  waters  which  were  above  the  firmament :  and  it  was  so. 
And  God  called  the  firmament  Heaven.  And  the  evening 
and  the  morning  were  the  second  day.  And  God  said,  Let 
the  waters  under  the  heaven  be  gathered  together  unto  one 
2:)lace,  and  let  the  dry  land  appear  :  and  it  was  so.  And 
God  called  the  dry  land  Earth  ;  and  the  gathering  together 
of  the  waters  called  he  Seas  :  and  God  saw  that  it  was 
good.  And  God  said,  Let  the  earth  bring  forth  grass,  the 
herb  yielding  seed,  and  the  fruit-tree  yielding  fruit  after  his 
kind,  whose  seed  is  in  itself,  upon  the  earth  :  and  it  was  so. 
And  the  earth  brought  forth  grass,  and  herb  yielding  seed 
after  his  kind,  and  the  tree  yielding  fruit,  whose  seed  was 
in  itself,  after  his  kind  :  and  God  saw  that  it  was  good. 
And  the  evening  and  the  morning  were  the  third  day. " — 
Gen.  i.,  1-13. 

An  emphatically  slow  movement,  when  rightly  em- 
ployed, giving  deliberation  to  the  expression  of  the  thought, 
and  weighing  the  words  of  solemn  import,  increases  the 
solemnity  of  expression  to  a  marked  degree,  if  it  be  not 
continued  too  long.  And  a  still  deeper  imj)ression  is  pro- 
duced in  the  utterance  of  awe  and  similar  feelings.  In- 
deed, there  can  be  no  proper  expression  of  awe  when  there 
is  any  approach  to  a  quick,  or  even  moderate  movement. 

"  Out  of  the  deep  have  I  called  unto  thee,  0  Lord  ; 
Lord,  hear  mv  voice.  0  let  thine  ears  consider  well  the 
voice  of  my  complaint.  If  thou,  Lord,  wilt  be  extreme 
to  mark  what  is  done  amiss,  0  Lord,  who  may  abide  it  ? 
For  there  is  mercy  with  thee  ;  therefore  shalt  thou  be 
feared.  I  look  for  the  Lord  ;  my  soul  doth  wait  for  him  ; 
in  his  word  is  my  trust.  My  soul  fleeth  unto  the  Lord  be- 
fore the  morning  watch  ;  I  say,  before  the  morning  watch. 
0  Israel,  trust  in  the  Lord ;  for  with  the  Lord  there  is 


MOVEMENT.  Ill 

mercy,  and  with  him  is  plenteous  redemj)tion.     And  he 
shall  redeem  Israel  from  all  his  sins." 

Lively  Movement. — This  element  of  expression  has  two 
distinct  uses — one  for  the  natural  increase  in  the  rapidity  of 
the  moTement  for  enlivened  feeling,  such  as  might  be 
classed  under  the  head  of  animation,  and,  secondly,  that 
degree  of  rapidity  which  energetic  and  excited  feeling  in 
all  divisions  would  require.  We  may  easily  mark  five  nat- 
ural distinctions  of  rate  or  movement  of  the  voice  in  the 
divisions  for  exercise — slowest,  slow,  modeia-te,  animated, 
quick.  It  should  be  observed  that  these  are  natural,  not 
arbitrary,  distinctions,  and  the  speaker  who  confines  him- 
self to  one  undeviating  movement,  by  such  use  of  his  voice, 
impedes  his  own  power  in  the  vocal  exjiression  of  his 
thought  or  feeling.  These  distinctions,  from  their  sim- 
plicity, would  appear  to  be  the  veriest  truisms.  Indeed, 
they  are  so  obvious  that  they  would  find  no  mention  here 
were  it  not  for  the  fact  that  many  speakers,  who  admit  them 
in  theory,  utterly  disregard  them  in  ])ractice.  They  acknowl- 
edge the  propriety  and  absolute  necessity  of  adapting  the 
measurement  of  the  voice  to  the  sentiment,  in  every  case, 
yet  hold  to  a  sameness  of  expression  that  seriously  weakens 
their  power  of  delivery.  As  we  could  not  endure  the  in- 
cessant repetition  of  the  same  thought  in  language,  so  we 
can  not  more  easily  accept  the  continued  use  of  the  same 
movement.  It  is  dull,  soporific,  and  stupefying  to  the 
greatest  degree. 

Rapid  Movement. 

1.  IIow  they  hrouyht  the  Good  News. — Browning. 

"  Behind  shut  the  postern,  the  lights  sank  to  rest, 
And  into  the  midnight  we  galloped  abreast. 

"  Not  a  word  to  each  other ;  we  kei)t  the  great  pace 
Neck  by  neck,  stride  for  stride,  never  changing  our 
place ; 


112  ELOCUTION. 

I  turned  in  my  saddle  and  made  its  girth  tight. 
Then  shortened  each  stirrup,  and  set  the  pique  right, 
Eebuckled  the  check-strap,  chained  slacker  the  bit, 
Nor  galloped  less  steadily  Roland,  a  whit." 

The  following  selection,  from  its  mental  yiA^acity,  will 
serve  as  an  excellent  illustration  of  quick  movement : 

2.   To  a  Shylarh. — Shelley. 

Hail  to  thee,  blithe  spirit, 

'Bird  thou  never  wert. 
That  from  heaven,  or  near  it, 
Pourest  thy  full  heart 
In  profuse  strains  of  unpremeditated  art. 

Higher  still  and  higher, 

From  the  earth  thou  springest 

Like  a  cloud  of  fire  ; 

The  deep  blue  thou  wingest, 
And  singing  still  dost  soar,  and  soaring  ever  singest. 

3.  ''Every  difficulty,  and  every  trial,  that  occurs  in 
your  path  is  a  fresh  opportunity  presented  by  his  kindness 
of  improving  the  happiness  after  which  he  hath  taught  you 
to  aspire.  By  every  hardship  which  you  sustain  in  the 
wilderness  you  secure  an  additional  portion  of  the  promised 
land.  What  though  the  combat  be  severe  ?  A  kingdom, 
an  everlasting  kingdom,  is  the  prize  of  victory.  Look  for- 
ward to  the  triumph  which  awaits  you,  and  your  courage 
will  revive.  Fight  the  good  fight,  finish  your  course,  keep 
the  faith  :  there  is  laid  up  for  you  a  crown  of  righteous- 
ness, which  the  Lord,  the  righteous  Judge,  shall  give  unto 
you  at  that  day.  What  though,  in  the  navigation  of  life, 
you  have  sometimes  to  encounter  the  war  of  elements  ? 
What  though  the  winds  rage,  though  the  waters  roar,  and 
danger  threatens  around  ?  Behold  at  a  distance  the  mount- 
ains appear.     Your  friends  are  impatient  for  your  arrival; 


PAUSES.  113 

already  the  feast  is  prepared,  and  the  rage  of  the  storm 
shall  serve  only  to  waft  you  sooner  to  the  haven  of  rest. 
No  tempests  assail  those  blissful  regions  which  approach  to 
view — all  is  peaceful  and  serene ;  there  you  shall  enjoy 
eternal  comfort,  and  the  recollection  of  the  hardshijjs 
which  you  now  encounter  shall  heighten  the  felicity  of 
better  days." 


CHAPTER  XI. 

PAUSES. 

O'S'E  means  of  separating  the  various  divisions  of  thought 
in  a  sentence  or  paragraph  is  by  proper  rests,  or  patises. 

Words  which  express  one  idea  are  thus  set  apart  by 
themselves,  and  the  ear  instinctively  associates  this  classifi- 
cation of  language  with  the  relations  of  a  single  thought. 
The  length  of  the  pause  is  decided  by  the  impressivencss 
of  the  thought  we  are  striving  to  convey,  or  the  emphasis 
we  would  give  to  one  expression  over  another,  by  resting  in 
preparation,  or  pausing  after  the  emphatic  idea,  in  order 
that  it  may  be  duly  received. 

All  impressive  and  emphatic  effect  is  especially  depend- 
ent upon  this  element  of  expression.  This  may  be  seen  by 
observing  closely  the  natural  result  of  pausing  when  a 
teacher  would  impress  the  memory,  or  emphasize  a  thought, 
or  when  a  parent  would  give  explanatory  instruction  or 
administer  earnest  rebuke  to  his  child.  To  run  the  words 
together,  without  these  natural  separations  by  pausing,  is 
very  much  like  the  old  style  of  printing  without  spacing 
between  the  words. 

There  are  few  things  in  utterance  which  render  the 
effect  so  puerile  and  expressionless  as  the  disregard  of  these 
natural  cessations  of  voice  at  the  appropriate  intervals. 
For  this  implies  that  the  mind  is  not  working  consciously 


114-  ELOCUTION. 

and  intently,  and  is  very  much  like  the  unmeaning  same- 
ness of  a  child's  yoice,  in  syllabication,  while  learning  to 
read.  But  the  right  use  of  the  pause  implies  not  merely 
the  intelligent  appreciation  of  the  thought  expressed,  but 
the  determination  to  impress  it  on  others.  It  pertains  to 
mastery,  in  the  effect  of  expression,  by  deliberate  self-con- 
trol, and  by  the  utterance  of  the  clearly  defined  conception 
of  the  idea.  A  speaker  who  is  impelled  by  neryousness 
or  excitement  omits  the  rests  which  should  impart  an 
air  of  deliberation  and  thoughtfulness  to  the  style,  and 
reveals  thereby  a  weakness,  in  being  controlled  by  sur- 
rounding circumstances,  rather  than  by  what  he  intends  to 
express. 

It  will  be  found,  by  attentive  study  and  observation, 
that  a  pause  preceding,  as  well  as  following,  the  emphatic 
word,  gives  great  character  to  the  expression.  It  implies, 
in  such  a  case,  the  deliberate  intention  of  maintaining  the 
truth  which  is  asserted,  and  assuming  all  the  responsibility 
which  such  an  assertion  may  imply — e.  g.,  in  the  passage  : 
"  I  maintain  that  the  assertion  is  willfully  and  maliciously 
false,"  to  give  the  word  "false  "with  the  strongest  em- 
phatic effect  necessitates  a  pause  before  and  after  ''will- 
fully" and  "maliciously,"  and  that  a  pause  preceding 
"false"  be  added  to  the  pause  following  "maliciously," 
so  as  to  double  the  time  of  the  rest  given  after  the  word 
"  willfully. "  The  same  impressive  effect  is  frequently  heard 
where  there  is  solemnity  of  feeling  to  be  conveyed.  As  : 
"There  is  one  sure  refuge  for  the  oppressed,  one  sure  rest- 
ing-place for  the  weary— ifAe  grave.""  To  disregard  the 
pause  preceding  the  words  "  the  grave  "  annuls  the  sense, 
but  is  still  more  destructive  to  anything  like  solemn  emo- 
tion. 

There  are  few  mechanical  rules  which  can  avail  much  to 
guide  the  voice  in  pausing,  for  it  depends  largely  on  every 
change  of  thought  and  feeling.  The  old-time  direction  of 
regarding  the  points  of  punctuation,  as  if  primarily  ar- 


PAUSES.  115 

ranged  for  the  elocutionary  expression  of  the  thought,  has, 
fortunately,  given  way  to  something  more  sensible  and  re- 
liable. It  would  undoubtedly  be  very  convenient  in  read- 
ing if  some  system  of  punctuation  could  be  devised  to 
guide  the  rests  of  the  voice  in  length  and  frequency,  accord- 
ing to  the  intention  of  the  author.  This,  however,  would 
be  complicated,  and  is  impracticable.  The  use  of  the  points 
of  punctuation  is  for  the  grammatical  arrangement  of 
words,  and  not  necessarily  for  distinctions  of  thought,  or 
emphasis  of  feeling.  This  does  not  forbid  a  frequent  co- 
incidence of  the  pauses  of  the  voice  with  the  points  of 
punctuation,  but  they  are  used  in  the  text  for  another  pur- 
pose, and  frequently  can  not  be  observed  in  reading  vfithout 
subverting  the  sense.  Moreover,  the  pause  of  the  voice  at 
completed  sense,  and,  consequently,  at  a  period,  would  be 
varied  in  its  length  according  to  the  varieties  of  feeling. 
Under  the  influence  of  excited  feeling,  a  pause  of  this  sort 
would  be  very  brief,  while  the  reverse  would  be  true  if 
impressive  thought  or  deep  and  solemn  emotion  were  to  be 
conveyed.  There  are  also  frequent  pauses,  some  of  them 
in  the  utterance  of  depth  of  feeling,  and  many  of  them 
very  long,  when  no  grammatical  point  can  be  found. 

Aproper  introduction  of  j^auses,  to  mark  the  natural  divis- 
ions of  the  discourse,  rests  the  ear  and  assists  the  memory. 
Even  the  pause  preceding  the  discourse  has  much  to  do  with 
the  commanding  effect  of  delivery.  It  implies  a  just  regard 
of  the  solemnity  of  the  office  of  declaring  spiritual  and  mo- 
mentous truth, and  mastery  of  the  occasion.  Like  other  effects 
which  are  appropriate  in  their  proper  places,  excessive  use 
of  this  element  of  power  becomes  a  defect.  For  let  what 
might  be  termed  the  preparative  pauses  of  a  discourse  be  car- 
ried the  slightest  fraction  of  a  second  too  far,  and  the  effect 
not  only  loses  all  solemnity,  but  becomes  positively  ludicrous. 
The  Pause  at  the  Introductory  Words  "saying,"  "say," 
and  "said." — At  the  end  of  the  Exhortation  for  Daily 
Prayer  we  have  the  expression,  "Wherefore  I  pray  and  be- 


116  ELOCUTION. 

seech  you  to  accompany  me  witli  a  pure  heart  and  humble 
voice  unto  the  throne  of  the  heavenly  grace,  saying — "  In 
the  American  book  the  word  ''saying"  is  punctuated  with 
a  dash  after  the  word,  which  would  seem  to  imply  that  the 
pause  belongs  properly  here,  at  the  end  of  the  exhortation, 
and  that  the  word  should  be  uttered  before  kneeling.  The 
opinion  is  expressed  with  great  deference  to  those  who  pre- 
fer to  utter  it  as  immediately  introductory  to  the  Confes- 
sion. But,  if  the  English  book  be  examined,  it  will  be 
noted  that,  in  the  earlier  prayer-books  of  1552,  1559,  1604, 
and  1662,  the  phrase  was  originally  "saying  after  me.", 
printed  with  a  period,  which  would  seem  to  render  it  inap- 
propriate as  an  immediate  introduction  to  the  Confession. 
And,  according  to  the  last  English  standard,  the  same  phrase 
is  used — "  saying  after  me  ;  " — printed  with  a  semicolon. 
These  are  the  reasons  why  it  seems  fitting  to  use  the  word 
*' saying"  as  a  part  of  the  Exhortation,  and  not  simply 
as  an  introduction  to  the  Confession. 

In  the  Thanksgiving  of  the  Baptismal  Service,  there 
being  no  rubric  for  change  of  posture,  the  expression,  "Let 
us  faithfully  and  devoutly  give  thanks  unto  Him,  and  say," 
is  followed  by  a  comma,  which  would  seem  to  place  it  with 
the  Exhortation,  rather  than  with  the  Thanksgiving  after 
it.  In  the  Preface  to  the  Decalogue,  the  deliberate  empha- 
sis on  the  word  "said,"  in  the  expression,  "God  spake 
these  words  and  said,"  with  the  pause  following,  gives 
weight  to  the  thought  of  the  Divine  authority  m  the  proc- 
lamation of  the  Law. 

The  whole  moral  effect  of  the  extract  below  depends 
upon  the  gradually  retarded  movement,  and  the  pause  pre- 
ceding and  following  "His"  in  the  last  line. 

Pause. 

"  I  smiled  to  think  God's  screatness  flowed  around  our  in- 
completeness — 
liound  our  restlessness  His  rest." 


EMPHASIS.  117 

CHAPTER  XII. 

EMPHASIS. 

By  tliis  term  we  should  understand  something  more 
than  a  change  of  force  on  a  particular  word  or  syllable. 
Almost  every  element  of  elocution  will  be  called  into  play 
in  some  one  or  another  of  the  changes  of  voice  implied  in 
"  emphasis."  A  sudden  percussion  of  explosive  utterance 
would  render  a  syllable  emphatic — e.  g.,  "It  is  base  for  a 
man  to  suffer  when  he  ought  to  act."  A  change  in  quality 
may  be  equally  emphatic  :  "  There  is  one  sure  refuge  for 
the  weary — the  grave,"  where  the  change  from  pure  tone 
of  the  opening  words  to  i\ie pectoral  quality,  "the  grave," 
renders  the  expression  emphatic*  An  increase  of  force 
emphasizes  the  expression  :  "  Bearing  for  its  motto  no  such 
miserable  interrogatory  as  'What  is  all  this  worth  ?' but 
everywhere,  spread  all  over,  in  characters  of  living  light, 
etc."  A  change  in  pitch  may  render  a  word  or  passage 
emphatic  :  "  He  woke  (high)  to  die  "  (loiv).  So  through 
all  the  changes  of  stress,  the  sudden  change  to  any  feeling 
requiring  a  change  in  the  stress  would  render  the  passage 
or  syllable  emphatic.  In  movement  the  change  from  fast 
to  slow,  or  the  reverse,  will  produce  the  effect  of  emphasis. 
"  Many  ports  will  exult  at  the  gleam  of  her  mast.  (Fast.) 
Hush  !  hush  !  thou  vain  dreamer,  this  hour  is  Jier  j  Very 
last."  i  sloiv. 

The  intervals  of  the  inflections  become  equally  emphatic 
and  expressive  by  their  changes  from  preceding  intervals  in 
pitch.  Pauses,  in  tlie  same  way,  preceding  and  following 
emphatic  words,  are  apt  and  expressive,  according  to  their 
length  and  frequency.  So  slight  a  matter  as  increased  dis- 
tinctness of   the   utterance  of   a   syllable   may  produce  a 

*  It  will  be  observed  that  the  pause  preccdinf;  "  the  p:rave,"  as  de- 
scribed in  the  iircvious  chapter,  is  also  an  clement  of  the  emphasis,  which 
is  further  augmented  by  the  change  in  quality. 


118  ELOCUTION. 

marked  empliatic  effect.  Indeed,  as  we  study  into  the 
matter,  we  shall  find  that  any  marked  change  of  the  voice 
is  a  vehicle  of  emphasis.  There  is  no  necessity,  therefore, 
for  making  the  effect  of  emphasis  dependent  on  force  only, 
or  upon  any  other  single  element  of  expression. 

The  right  use  of  emphasis  is  primarily  dependent  on 
activity  of  thought,  will,  and  sensibility  of  emotion,  and, 
judiciously  applied,  would  break  up  any  tendency  to  un- 
meaning and  undeviating  monotony  in  reading  and  speak- 
ing. It  serves  the  same  purpose  to  the  ear  that  nat- 
ure presents  to  the  eye  in  a  vari-colored  landscape,  and 
which  it  is  the  highest  aim  of  the  painter's  art  to  reproduce 
in  form  and  color.  The  precise  coloring  of  the  tone  in 
vocality  which  makes  a  word  or  phrase  justly  emphatic  is 
the  result  of  ready  perception  of  sound  by  the  ear,  and  ex- 
pression and  intelligence  in  its  delivery.  The  humdrum 
and  perfunctory  tone  of  a  heartless  and,  as  we  might  say, 
thoughtless  delivery,  is  indicated  by  the  absence  of  all  em- 
phasis in  the  expressive  effect.  This  becomes  intolerably 
tedious  in  the  delivery  of  thought  from  the  pulpit,  and 
scarcely  less  than  irreverent  in  the  reading  of  the  prayers. 
It  can  not  be  that  the  speaker  has  the  heart,  the  determina- 
tion, to  convey  and  impress  his  thought,  unless  there  are 
those  cases  of  emphasis  in  expression  which  reveal  that 
purpose  and  indicate  such  determination.  And,  in  the 
reading  of  the  prayers,  unless  there  is  something  like  sym- 
pathetic response  emotionally,  and  therefore  vocally,  the 
natural  distinction  implied  in  confession,  in  supplication, 
in  gratitude,  and  thanksgiving,  the  heart  of  the  reader  and 
of  the  hearer  alike  are  in  danger  of  remaining  unmoved. 
The  same  thought  in  the  reading  of  the  prayers  would 
carry  us  naturally  to  those  finer  shades  of  feeling  and  those 
delicate  colorings  of  emotion  which  are  naturally  suggested 
by  the  significance  of  the  various  titles  of  the  Deity,  and 
the  subject-matter  of  the  petitions  following. 

The  object  to  be  aimed  at  in  the  reading  of  the  follow- 


EMPEASIS.  119 

ing  extract  is  to  mark  clearly  and  emphatically  the  distinc- 
tion between  manly  and  womanly  attributes  in  the  descrip- 
tion, and  the  commingling  and  interchanging  of  each,  to 
form  the  ideal,  intellectual,  and  moral  unity  of  a  perfect 
type.  Without  pointed  emphasis,  the  thought  will  not  be 
conveyed,  much  less  enforced. 

1.  From  "  The  Princess." — Tennyson. 

"For  woman  is  not  undevelopt  man. 
But  diverse  :  could  we  make  her  as  a  man, 
Sweet  love  were  slain,  whose  dearest  bond  is  this 
Not  like  to  thee,  but  like  in  difference  : 
Yet  in  the  long  years  liker  must  they  grow  : 
The  man  be  more  of  woman,  she  of  man  ; 
He  gain  in  sweetness  and  in  moral  height, 
Xor  lose  the  wrestling  thews  that  throw  the  world ; 
She  mental  breadth,  nor  fail  in  childward  care  : 
More  as  the  double  natured  Poet  each  : 
Till  at  the  last  she  set  herself  to  man, 
Like  perfect  music  unto  noble  words  ; 
And  so  these  twain,  upon  the  skirts  of  Time, 
Sit  side  by  side,  fiill-summ'd  in  all  their  powers. 
Dispensing  harvest,  sowing  the  To-be, 
Self-reverent  each  and  reverencing  each. 
Distinct  in  individualities. 
But  like  each  other  even  as  those  who  love. 
Then  comes  the  statelier  Eden  back  to  men  ; 
Then  reigns  the  world's  great  bridals,  chaste  and  calm  ; 
Then  springs  the  crowning  race  of  human  kind. 
May  these  things  be  ! " 

2.  All  Cliristians  Heralds  of  Divine  Truth. — Leighton. 

"  Wliat  the  apostles  were  in  an  extraordinary  way  (be- 
fitting the  first  annunciation  of  a  religion  for  all  mankind), 
this  all  teachers  of  moral  truth  (who  aim  to  prepare  for  its 
reception  by  calling  the  attention  of  men  to  the  law  in 
6 


120  ELOCUTIOK 

their  own  hearts)  may,  without  presumption,  consider 
themselves  to  be,  under  ordinary  gifts  and  circumstances  : 
namely,  ambassadors  for  the  Greatest  of  Kings,  and  upon 
no  mean  employment,  the  great  Treaty  of  Peace  and  Eec- 
oncilement  betwixt  Him  and  Mankind." 

3.  *'  But  of  those  who  seemed  to  be  somewhat,  whatso- 
ever they  were,  it  maketli  no  matter  to  me  :  God  accepteth 
no  man's  person  :  for  they  who  seemed  to  be  somewhat  in 
conference  added  nothing  to  me  :  but  contrariwise,  when 
they  saw  that  the  gospel  of  the  lincircumcision  was  com- 
mitted unto  me,  as  the  gospel  of  the  circumcision  was  unto 
Peter ;  (for  he  that  wrought  effectually  in  Peter  to  the 
apostleship  of  the  circumcision,  the  same  was  mighty  in 
me  toward  the  Gentiles  ;)  and  when  James,  Cephas,  and 
John,  who  seemed  to  be  pillars,  perceived  the  grace  that 
was  given  unto  me,  they  gave  to  me  and  Barnabas  the  right 
hands  of  fellowship  ;  that  we  should  go  unto  the  heathen, 
and  they  unto  the  circumcision." — Gal.  ii.,  6-11. 

4.  "  For  ye  are  not  come  unto  the  mount  that  might 
be  toiiched,  and  that  burned  with  fire,  nor  unto  blackness, 
and  darkness,  and  tempest,  and  the  sound  of  a  trumpet, 
and  the  voice  of  words ;  which  voice  they  that  heard  en- 
treated that  the  word  should  not  be  spoken  to  them  any 
more :  (for  they  could  not  endure  that  which  was  com- 
manded. And  if  so  much  as  a  beast  touch  the  mountain, 
it  shall  be  stoned,  or  thrust  through  with  a  dart :  and  so 
terrible  was  the  sight,  that  Moses  said,  I  exceedingly  fear 
and  quake  :)  but  ye  are  come  unto  mount  Sion  and  unto 
the  city  of  the  living  God,  the  heavenly  Jerusalem,  and  to 
an  innumerable  company  of  angels.  To  the  general  assem- 
bly and  church  of  the  firstborn,  which  are  written  in  hea- 
ven, and  to  God  the  Judge  of  all,  and  to  the  spirits  of  jiist 
men  made  perfect.  And  to  Jesus  the  mediator  of  the  new 
covenant,  and  to  the  blood  of  sprinkling,  that  speaketh  bet- 
ter things  than  that  of  Abel." — Heb.  xii.,  18-24. 

5.  "  For  Christ  also  hath  once  suffered  for  sins,  the  just 


EMPHASIS.  121 

for  the  uujust,  that  he  might  bring  us  to  God,  being  put 
to  death  in  the  flesh,  but  quickened  by  the  Spirit :  by 
which  also  he  went  and  preached  unto  the  spirits  in  pris- 
on ;  which  sometime  were  disobedient,  when  once  the  long- 
suffering  of  God  waited  in  the  days  of  Noah,  while  the  ark 
was  a  preparing,  wherein  few,  that  is,  eight  souls  were 
saved  by  water.  The  like  figure  whereunto  even  baptism 
doth  also  now  save  us,  (not  the  putting  away  of  the  filth 
of  the  flesh,  but  the  answer  of  a  good  conscience  toward 
God,)  by  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ :  who  is  gone 
into  heaven,  and  is  on  the  right  hand  of  God  ;  angels  and 
authorities  and  powers  being  made  subject  unto  him." — I. 
Pet.  iii.,  18-22. 

Sometimes  the  very  life  of  an  entire  passage  (not  neces- 
sarily scriptural)  is  dependent  upon  the  emphasis  applied 
throughout,  e.  g. : 

1.  "  If  Keason,  in  some  of  her  most  successful  efforts, 
has  disclosed  some  truths  of  great  worth  and  divine  im- 
port, the  best  of  her  productions  are,  nevertheless,  but  as 
the  image  in  Nebuchadnezzar's  dream  :  though  the  head 
he  of  GOLD,  the  feet  are  of  iROisr  and  clay.  " 

Cumulative  emphasis  from  repetition  : 

1.  "  A.rQi\iej  Hebrews?  So  am  I.  Are  they  Fsraelites ? 
So  AM  I.     Are  they  the  seed  of  Abraham  ?     SO  AM  /. 

2.  "  From  these  walls  a  spirit  shall  go  forth  that  shall 
survive,  when  this  edifice  shall  be  like  an  unsubstantial 
pageant  faded.  It  shall  go  forth,  exulting  in,  but  not 
abusing,  its  strength.  It  shall  go  forth,  remembering,  in 
the  days  of  its  prosperity,  the  pledges  it  gave  in  the  time 
of  its  depression.  It  shall  go  forth,  uniting  a  disposi- 
tion to  correct  abuses,  to  redress  grievances.  IT  SHALL 
GO  FORTH,  uniting  the  disposition  to  improve,  with  the 
resolution  to  maintain  and  defend,  by  that  spirit  of  un- 
bought  affection  wliich  is  the  chief  defense  of  nations." 

"What  was  it,  fellow-citizens,  which  gave  to  Lafayette 
his  spotless  fame  ?     The  love  of  liberty.     What  has  conse- 


122  ELOCUTION. 

crated  liis  memory  in  the  hearts  of  good  men  ?  The  love 
OF  LIBEKTY.  What  nerved  his  youthful  arm  with  strength, 
and  inspired  him,  in  the  morning  of  his  days,  with  sagacity 
and  counsel?  THE  LIVING  LOVE  OF  lIBERTY. 
To  what  did  he  sacrifice  power,  and  rank,  and  country, 
and  freedom  itself?  TO  THE  LOVE  OF  LIBERTY 
PROTECTED  BY  LIW.  .  .  .  Listen,  Americans,  to 
the  lesson  which  seems  borne  to  us  on  the  "very  air  we 
breathe  while  we  perform  these  dutiful  rites.  Ye  winds, 
that  wafted  the  pilgrims  to  the  land  of  promise,  fan  in 
their  children's  hearts  the  love  of  freedom  !  Blood  which 
our  fathers  shed,  cry  from  the  ground — echoing  arches  of 
this  renowned  hall,  whisper  back  the  voices  of  other  days — 
glorious  Washington  !  break  the  long  silence  of  that  votive 
canvas  ;  speak,  speak,  marble  lips ;  teach  us  the  love  of 

LIBERTY    protected    BY   LAW  !  " — Evevett. 

The  negative  not  receives  no  emphasis  unless  in  con- 
tradiction or  especial  contrast  by  antithesis.  The  contrac- 
tions in  colloquial  use  would  show  this — wouldn't,  mustn't, 
can't,  won't,  etc.  In  the  Ten  Commandments,  the  empha- 
sis is  ''shalt  not,"  ''ye  woiild  not."  Also,  "Eachel  weep- 
ing for  her  children,  and  would  not  be  comforted,  because 
they  are  not,"  "  Enoch  was  not,  for  God  took  him."  And 
in  the  General  Confession  the  emphasis  is — "  We  have  left 
undone  the  things  which  we  ought  to  have  done."  If  the 
emphasis  is  placed  on  ''ought,"  the  inference  is  that  on  the 
whole  we  are  about  right. 

In  the  Litany,  avoid  the  error  of  saying  "and  all  who 
are  desolate  and  oppressed."  The  emphasis  upon  all  would 
imply  that  all  fatherless  children  and  widows  are  oppressed. 
Avoid  also  the  primary  emphasis  upon  the  first  syllable  of 
"circumcision" — a  habit  resulting  from  the  frequent  con- 
trast of  the  word  with  "  uncircumcision."  There  is  a  ten- 
dency, not  uncommon,  to  emphasize  the  first  syllables  of 
"creation"  and  "preservation,"  as  if  they  were  in  con- 
trast.    In  the  Creed,  the  emphasis  should  be  "  the  third 


EMPHASIS.  123 

day  He  rose  again,"  not  "  rose  again'-;  and  the  clause  fol- 
lowing, "according  to  the  Scriptures,"  should  be  fully  em- 
phasized, to  avoid  the  impression  of  flippancy.  In  the  first 
prayer  of  the  Baptismal  Service,  the  pause  preceding  and 
the  emphasis  upon  the  word  "water"  are  essential  to  the 
meaning,  "Noah  and  his  family  were  saved  in  the  ark  |  by 
water,"  and  is  thus  applied  in  the  Baptismal  Service.  It 
was  not  from  perishing  by  water  that  they  were  saved,  but 
they  were  saved  by  water  in  the  ark.  "  Suffer  us  not  in 
our  last  hour  "  (not  an  uncommon  misreading)  by  inference 
reflects  upon  the  peace  of  the  departed  in  Ids  last  hour. 
In  the  Lord's  Prayer,  "as  we  forgive  those  who  trespass 
against  iis  "  is  the  clear  meaning  of  the  antithesis,  for,  as  we 
have  trespassed  against  God,  and  our  fellow-men  have  tres- 
l^assed  against  us,  we  pray  to  be  forgiven,  as  we  forgive  them. 

In  reading  the  Lessons,  the  instances  where  false  empha- 
sis conveys  a  wrong  meaning  are  almost  numberless.  Some- 
times one  may  properly  be  in  doubt  as  to  the  precise  inter- 
pretation to  be  given  to  a  passage.  But  whatever  emphasis 
is  used,  some  meaning  in  contrast  with  another  which  might 
be  given  is  conveyed.  This  will  be  the  case  with  all  pas- 
sages in  which  there  is  more  than  one  allowable  interpre- 
tation. Let  lis  take  a  single  passage — the  words  of  Agrippa 
to  St.  Paul :  "Almost  thou  persuadest  me  to  be  a  Chris- 
tian." In  the  revised  version  the  phraseology  is  changed, 
so  as  to  make  a  single  meaning  more  obvious.  But  we  will 
hold  to  the  received  version  for  study.  If  the  primary 
emphasis  is  to  be  given  according  to  the  surface-meaning, 
and  King  Agrippa  is  really  pondering  the  force  of  the 
apostle's  words,  and  half-inclined  to  submit  himself  to  the 
truth  and  become,  like  St.  Paul,  a  believer  in  Christ,  then 
the  passage  should  be  read  as  follows  :  "Almost  thou  per- 
suadest me  to  be  a  Christian. 

If,  however,  the  king  is  thinking  of  St.  Paul's  conver- 
sion, and,  submitting  himself  to  the  influences  of  the  hour, 
thinks  that  it  would  be  well  for  him  also  to  become  a  Chris- 


124  ELOCUTION. 

tian,  then  the  sincerity  of  his  half-persuasion  would  give 
the  antithetic  emphasis  on  "  me,"  as  if  he  had  said  to  St. 
Paul  :  *'  Thou  art  a  Christian,  and  thou  almost  persuadest 
me,  also,  to  be  one." 

Another  of  what  might  be  considered  as  the  sincere 
utterances  of  the  king  could  be  expressed  by  placing  the 
chief  emphasis  on  ''almost"  and  "persuadest."  This 
would  show  the  j)rofound  feeling  of  Agrippa,  and  the 
troubled  condition  of  his  mind,  under  the  eloquent  appeal 
of  the  apostle. 

From  these  we  might  pass  to  the  study  of  the  passages 
as  expressing  irony,  whether  relating  to  the  manner  of  con- 
yersion,  the  character  of  the  proud  king  himself,  the  time 
taken  in  persuading  him,  or  whatever  additional  thoughts 
might  be  involved  in  the  discussion.  Each  reader  must 
adopt  the  interpretation  which  seems  most  reasonable  to 
him  ;  only  let  him  have  some  decided  opinion,  if  possible, 
and  express  that,  or  else  adopt  none,  and  avoid  any  accent 
in  reading  which  would  bias  the  minds  of  his  hearers. 

In  addition  to  the  principles  of  interpretation,  we  find 
doctrine  rightly  or  wrongly  presented  by  the  expression  of 
the  emphasis.  In  the  first  chapter  of  St.  John's  Gospel,  if 
the  primary  purpose  be  to  declare  the  divinity  of  the  Word 
by  His  co-equality  with  the  Father,  then  the  emphasis  is 
misplaced  upon  the  words  "with"  and  "was."  If,  how- 
ever, this  is  not  the  chief  thought  of  the  Evangelist,  then 
the  emphasis  may  fall  upon  the  little  words.  The  first  read- 
ing suggested  above  would  give  us  the  emphasis  as  follows  : 

"In  the  beginning  was  the  Word,  and  the  Word  was 
with  God,  and  the  Word  was  G^ofZ."  By  the  second  inter- 
pretation the  accent  would  be  as  given  here  : 

"In  the  beginning  was  the  Word,  and  the  Word  was 
loitli  God,  and  the  Word  was  God." 

These  suggestions  would  apply  to  several  of  the  verses 
following  the  one  quoted  above.  In  the  words,  "  The 
world  was  made  by  Him,''''  the  emphasis  would  seem  to  fall 


FlfPEASIS.  125 

properly  upon  the  pronoun  rather  than  upon  the  prepo- 
sition. 

And  in  the  passage,  "  Without  Him  was  not  anything 
made  that  was  made,"  the  emphasis  lies  with  greater  force 
upon  "made"  than  upon  "was." 

The  reading  of  the  Decalogue  is  emphatic  throughout, 
and  any  suggestion  of  feebleness  in  the  utterance  implies 
insufficient  authority.  If  we  take  the  Third  Command- 
ment, for  example,  and  read  it  without  em23hasis,  we  shall 
see  how  unsuggestive  the  language  becomes,  and  how  easy, 
not  to  say  natural,  a  thing  it  would  be  for  the  listener  to 
make  light  of  the  Law.  How  different  is  the  effect  when 
the  voice  of  stern  authority  emphasizes  the  words  "  vain  " 
and  "guiltless"  Avitli  full  force  and  deliberate  pausing  ! 

As  already  suggested,  it  is  apparent  that  the  study  of 
emphasis,  to  be  fully  exhaustive,  would  lead  us  through 
almost  every  passage  of  the  Prayer-Book,  the  greater  part 
of  the  sacred  Scriptures,  and  all  the  utterances  of  the  pul- 
pit. The  treatment  of  the  subject  in  this  place  can,  there- 
fore, be  only  fragmentary  and  suggestive. 

Passages  of  Scripture  for  Study  in  Emphasis. 

Tlie  "  Empliatic  Tie,"  which  is  the  tying  of  the  voice 
in  the  connected  passages  by  a  return  to  the  same  force, 
pitch,  etc.,  after  the  interruption  of  a  parenthesis  or  the 
like  :— 

1.  "For  as  many  as  have  sinned  without  law,  shall  also 
perish  without  law  :  and  as  many  as  have  sinned  in  the 
law,  shall  be  judged  hy  the  law,  ||  (for  not  the  hearers  of 
the  law  are  just  before  God,  but  the  doers  of  the  law  shall 
be  justified.  ||  For  when  the  Gentiles,  which  have  not  the 
law,  do  by  nature  the  things  contained  in  the  law,  these, 
having  not  the  law,  are  a  law  unto  themselves  :  which 
sliowed  the  work  of  the  law  written  in  their  hearts,  their 
conscience  also  bearing  witness,  and  their  thoughts  the 
meanwhile  accusing,  or  else  excusing,  one  another  :)  ||  ||  in 


126  ELOGUTIOy, 

the  day  when  God  shall  judge  the  secrets  of  men  by  Jesus 
Christ  according  to  my  gospel." — Rom.  ii.,  12-16. 

2.  "  It  is  not  expedient  for  me  doubtless  to  glory.  I  will 
come  to  visions  and  revelations  of  the  Lord.  ITcnewaman 
in  Christ  above  fourteen  years  ago,  (whether  m  the  body,  I 
cannot  tell ;  or  whether  out  of  the  body,  I  cannot  tell :  God 
knoweth  ;)  such  cm  one  caught  up  to  the  third  heaven.  And 
I  knew  such  a  man,  (whether  in  the  body,  or  out  of  the 
body,  I  cannot  tell :  God  knoweth ;)  How  that  he  was 
caught  up  into  paradise,  andheard  unspeaTcahle  ivords,  which 
itisnotlaivfulfor  a^nanto  utter.'" — II.  Cor.  xii,,  1-4. 

Further  Suggestions  in  Emphasis. — The  fundamental 
principles  of  emphasis  are  so  associated  with  the  true  ren- 
dering of  the  meaning  that  it  seems  almost  superfluous  to 
state  that,  in  the  critical  study  of  the  language  for  expres- 
sion, some  knowledge  of  the  original  Hebrew  or  Greek  is 
essential.  Of  course,  the  profounder  and  more  accurate 
the  scholarship,  the  more  certainly  will  the  true  reading 
rightly  represent  its  labors.  But  it  will  be  found  that  such 
knowledge  is  not  all  that  is  involved.  For  we  have  to  take 
as  our  text  the  received  version,  and  we  are  liable,  even 
then,  to  misrepresent  the  teaching  of  a  given  passage.  E. 
g.,  in  St.  Luke,  xxiv.,  25  :  *'  0  fools,  and  slow  of  heart  to 
believe  all  that  the  proj^hets  have  spoken  ! "  A  false  em- 
phasis not  only  subverts,  but  contradicts,  the  meaning, 
and  makes  it  appear  that  the  disciples  were  fools  for  belie v- 
ing  what  the  prophets  had  spoken.  The  projjer  way  of 
pronouncing  the  words  is  represented  as  follows  :  *'  0  fools, 
and  slow  of  heart  to  believe  |  all  that  the  prophets  have 
spoken  ! " 

Other  illustrations  may  be  given  to  mark  the  same  prin- 
ciple. 

*'  Determined  to  sail  ly  Ephesus  "  ;  the  emphasis  should 
here  be  given  on  ''by,"  not  on  "Ei^hesus." — Acts,  xx.,  16. 

"  Saw  in  a  vision  evidently,  about  the  ninth  hour  of  the 
day;"  emphasize  "evidently." — Acts,  x.,  3. 


EMPHASIS.  127 

"  And  there  were  two  other  |  malefactors  led  with  Him 
to  be  put  to  death"  ;  emphasize  "other,"  and  pause. — St. 
Luke,  xxiii.,  32. 

"They  found  Mary  and  Joseph,  |  and  the  babe  lying  in 
a  manger."  —  St.  Luke,  ii.,  16.  A  pause  is  not  unfre- 
quently  heard  after  "babe,"  so  as  to  class  it  with  "Mary 
and  Joseph." 

The  following  may  be  explained  by  marks  of  emphasis  : 

"  Servants,  obey  in  all  things  your  masters  according 
to  the  flesh."— Col.  iii.,  22. 

"And  they  that  have  believing  masters,  let  them  not 
despise  them,  because  they  are  brethren." — I.  Tim.  vi.,  3. 

"Wherefore,  remember  that  ye  being  in  time  past  Gen- 
tiles in  the  flesh,  who  are  called  Uncircumcision  by  that 
which  is  called  the  Circumcision  |  in  the  flesh  |  made  by 
hands." — Eph.  ii.,  11. 

"For  then  would  they  not  have  ceased  to  be  offered  ?" 
— Heb.  X.,  2. 

"Because  greater  is  he  that  is  in  you  than  he  that  is  in 
the  world." — L  John,  iv.,  4. 

"And  he  spared  not  to  take  of  his  own  flock." — II. 
Sam.  xii.,  4. 

"They  took  Ilim  even  as  He  was  in  the  ship." — St. 
Mark,  iv.,  36. 

"Take  heed  to  thyself  that  thou  offer  not  thy  burnt 
offering  in  every  place  that  thou  seest :  but  in  the  place 
which  the  Lord  shall  choose  in  one  of  thy  tribes,  there  thou 
shalt  offer  thy  burnt  offerings." — Deut.  xii.,  13,  14. 

The  following  note  was  given  to  the  author  by  a  former 
professor  of  Hebrew  at  the  Berkeley  Divinity  School : 

"In  Is.  liii.,  4,  'Surely  He  hath  borne  our  griefs,  and 
carried  our  sorrows,  etc.,'  attention  is  directed  in  the  He- 
brew to  the  subject  '  He,'  the  pronoun  being  there  ex- 
pressed for  emphasis." 

The  following  are  some  of  the  passages  that  tlic  author 
has  heard  read  with  erroneous  emphasis.     They  are  printed 


128  ELOCUTIOK 

as  they  ought  to  be  pronounced,  the  error  consisting  in  dis- 
regarding the  emphatic  words  : 

*'But  to  this  man  will  I  look." — Is.  Ixvi.,  2. 

"  He  that  killeth  an  ox  is  as  if  he  slew  a  man  ;  he  that 
sacrificeth  a  lamb,  as  if  he  cut  off  a  dog's  nech ;  he  that 
offereth  an  oblation,  as  if  he  offered  sivine's  Mood;  he  that 
burnetii  incense,  as  if  he  blessed  an  idol." — Is.  Ixvi.,  3. 

"Therefore  I  said.  Surely  these  are  jDoor  ;  they  are  fool- 
ish :  for  they  know  not  the  way  of  the  Lord  nor  the  Judg- 
ment of  their  God.  I  will  get  me  unto  the  great  men,  and 
will  speak  unto  them  ;  for  they  have  known  the  way  of  the 
Lord  and  the  judgment  of  their  God  ;  but  these  [i.e.,  also] 
have  altogether  broken  the  yoke  and  burst  the  bonds." — 
Jer.  v.,  4,  5. 

"  Now  that  He  ascended,  what  is  it  but  that  He  also 
descended  first  into  the  lower  parts  of  the  earth  ?  He  that 
descended  is  the  same  also  that  ascended  up  far  above  all 
heavens,  that  He  might  fill  all  things." — Ejjh.  iv.,  9,  10. 

There  is  here  no  play  upon  the  initial  syllables  of  the 
words  "ascended"  and  "descended,"  the  antithesis  being 
upon  the  height  and  depth. 


CHAPTER  Xm. 

MELODY. 

The  musical  effect  in  the  sustained  delivery  of  some 
speakers  is  imparted  largely  by  the  rhythmical  flow  of 
voice.  The  pleasing  impression  of  the  recurrence  of  em- 
phatic syllables  in  graduated  successions  of  "time"  is  one 
of  the  graces  of  sjieech.  When  it  is  excessive,  it  is  destruc- 
tive to  forcible  and  manly  utterance  ;  and  when  it  is  want- 
ing the  style  is  rendered  harsh  and  brusque  to  the  ear. 

Practice  upon  passages  of  verse  where  the  melody  is 


MELODY.  129 

strongly  marked  is  a  serviceable  drill  to  the  ear  and  to  the 
voice  in  securing  this  power  of  musical  expression. 

The  practiced  reader  and  speaker  always  has  something 
of  this  effect  of  melodious  utterance  which  distinguishes 
his  more  mature  from  his  earlier  efforts  in  public  speaking, 
and  which  displays  the  mastery,  self-possession,  and  delib- 
eration in  delivery  which  follow  almost  necessarily  from 
years  of  practice.  The  more  musical  the  style  without 
sacrificing  force  in  the  effect,  the  more  desirable  does  it 
become. 

The  voice  should  give  the  fullest  musical  and  rhythmical 
flow  to  this  passage  : 

1.  Drama  of  Exile.     Chorus  of  Eden  Spirits. — Mrs. 

Broiviiing. 
Spirits  of  the   Trees, 

"  Hark  I  the  Eden  trees  are  stirring. 
Slow  and  solemn  to  your  hearing  ! 
Plane  and  cedar,  palm  and  fir, 
Tamarisk  and  juniper, 
Each  is  throbbing  in  vibration 
Since  that  crowning  of  creation. 
When  the  God-breath  sjiake  abroad. 
Pealing  down  the  depths  of  Godhead 
Let  us  make  man  like  to  God  ! 
And  the  pine  stood  quivering 

In  the  Eden-gorges  wooded, 

As  the  awful  word  went  by  ; 
Like  a  vibrant  chorded  string 

Stretched  from  mountain-peak  to  sky  ! 
And  the  cypress  did  expand. 

Slow  and  gradual,  branch  and  head  ; 

And  the  cedar's  strong  black  shade 
Fluttered  brokenly  and  grand  ! 
Grove  and  forest  bowed  aslant 
In  emotion  jubilant." 


130  ELOCUTION. 

Voice  of  the  same,  but  softer. 

"  Which  divine  impulsion  cleaves 
In  dim  movements  to  the  leaves, 
Dropt  and  lifted,  dropt  and  lifted, 
In  the  sunlight  greenly  sifted — 
In  the  sunlight  and  the  moonlight 

Greenly  sifted  through  the  trees. 
Ever  wave  the  Eden  trees 

In  the  nightlight,  and  the  noonlight, 
With  a  ruffling  of  green  branches 
Shaded  off  to  resonances ; 

Never  stirred  by  rain  or  breeze  ! 

Fare  ye  well,  farewell ! 
The  sylvan  sounds,  no  longer  audible. 

Expire  at  Eden's  door  ! 

Each  footstep  of  your  treading 
Treads  out  some  murmur  which  ye  heard  before 

Farewell !  the  trees  of  Eden 

Ye  shall  hear  nevermore." 

Floicer  Spirits, 

*'  We  linger,  we  linger, 

The  last  of  the  throng  ! 
Like  the  tones  of  a  singer 

Who  loves  his  own  song. 
We  are  spirit-aromas 

Of  blossom  and  bloom  ; 
We  call  your  thoughts  home,  as 

Ye  breathe  our  perfume  ; 
To  the  amaranth's  splendor 

Afire  on  the  slopes  ; 
To  the  lily-bells  tender. 

And  gray  heliotropes  ! 
To  the  poppy-plains,  keeping 

Such  dream -breath  and  ble. 
That  the  angels  there  stepping 

Grew  whiter  to  see  I 


MELODY.  131 

To  the  nook,  set  with  moly, 

Ye  jested  one  day  in, 
Till  your  smile  waxed  too  holy 

And  left  your  lips  praying  ! 
To  the  rose  in  the  bower-place, 

That  dripped  o'er  you  sleeping ; 
To  the  asphodel  flower-place, 

Ye  walked  ankle  deep  in  ! 
We  pluck  at  your  raiment. 

We  stroke  down  your  hair — 
We  faint  in  our  lament, 

And  pine  into  air. 
Fare  ye  well,  farewell ! 
The  Eden  scents,  no  longer  sensible, 
Expire  at  Eden's  door  ! 
Each  footstep  of  your  treading 
Treads  out  some  fragrance  which  ye  knew  before  : 
'  Farewell !  the  flowers  of  Eden 
Ye  shall  smell  nevermore." 

Subdued  Foece. 

2.   Tranquillity. — Montgomery. 
"  Behold  the  bed  of  death— 

This  pale  and  lovely  clay  ! 
Heard  ye  the  sob  of  parting  breath  ? 

Marked  ye  the  eye's  last  ray  ? 
No  ; — life  so  sweetly  ceased  to  be, 

It  lapsed  in  immortality." 

Tenderness. 
3.   The  Death-Bed.— Hood. 
*'  We  watched  her  breathing  through  the  night, 
Iler  breathing  soft  and  low. 
As  in  her  breast  the  wave  of  life 
Kept  surging  to  and  fro. 


132  ELOCUTIOX. 

"  Our  very  hopes  belied  our  fears, 
Our  fears  our  hopes  belied  ; 
We  thought  her  dying  when  she  slept, 
And  sleeping  when  she  died. 

*'  For  when  the  morn  came,  dim  and  sad, 
And  chill  with  early  showers, 
Her  quiet  eyelids  closed — she  had 
Another  morn  than  ours." 

Sadness. 
4.   The  Dream. — Byron. 

"  I  saw  him  stand 
Before  an  altar — with  a  gentle  bride  ; 
Her  face  was  fair,  but  was  not  that  which  made 
The  star-light  of  his  boyhood  ;  as  he  stood 
Even  at  the  altar,  o'er  his  brow  there  came 
The  selfsame  aspect,  and  the  quivering  shock 
That  in  the  antique  oratory  shook 
His  bosom  in  its  solitude  ;  and  then — 
As  in  that  hour — a  moment  o'er  his  face 
The  tablet  of  unutterable  thoughts 
Was  traced — and  then  it  faded  as  it  came. 
And  he  stood  calm  and  quiet,  and  he  spoke 
The  fitting  vows,  but  heard  not  his  own  words. 
And  all  things  reel'd  around  him  ;  he  could  see 
Not  that  which  was,  nor  that  which  should  have  been- 
But  the  old  mansion,  and  the  accustom'd  hall. 
And  the  remember'd  chambers,  and  the  place. 
The  day,  the  hour,  the  sunshine  and  the  shade. 
All  things  pertaining  to  that  place  and  hour, 
And  her  who  was  his  destiny,  came  back. 
And  thrust  themselves  between  him  and  the  light : 
What  business  had  they  there  at  such  a  time  ?  " 


PART   II. 
HEADING  OF  THE  SERVICE. 


INTRODUCTION". 

EXPRESSION. 

It  is  of  unspeakable  importance  that  the  reader  of 
Divine  Service,  and  the  preacher  in  tlie  j)ulpit,  should  have 
a  full  degree  of  expressive  power,  the  ability  to  display  be- 
fore the  minds  of  his  hearers,  and  imprint  on  their  hearts, 
his  inner  thought.  Any  deficiency  in  this  faculty  is  a  most 
deplorable  defect,  and,  if  it  can  possibly  be  eradicated,  is 
inexcusable  in  the  leader  of  the  devotions  of  a  congrega- 
tion and  the  herald  of  divine  truth.  If  the  reader  does 
not  convey  the  impression  that  his  heart  and  mind  are  actu- 
ally engaged  in  offering  prayer  to  God,  or  in  declaring  his 
heavenly  message,  he  misrepresents  his  sacred  office.  It  is 
what  is  forced  out  of  a  man's  mind  by  the  pressure  of  his 
devotional  feelings  and  affections  which  makes  his  voice  the 
fit  instrument  of  prayer  to  the  Almighty,  or  of  instruction 
to  the  people.  Necessity  is  upon  him,  "yea,  woe  is  unto" 
him,  if  he  makes  the  duties  of  his  office  a  mere  lip-service, 
and  that  his  mouth  does  not  speak  out  of  the  abundance  of 
his  heart.  Expression  implies  reality,  truthfulness,  vivid- 
ness, and  inexpressive  utterance  in  the  language  of  prayer, 
praise,  or  preaching,  is  unnatural  and  unreal.  The  man 
whose  heart  remains  unmoved,  or  whose  mind  is  inert,  in 
addressing  God  with  and  for  His  people,  or  the  people  for 


134  READIXG   OF  THE  SERVICE. 

God,  should  seriously  consider  Tvitli  himself  whether  he  is 
devoutly  fulfilling  all  that  was  implied  in  his  ordination 

TOWS. 

These  thoughts  are  not  recorded  here  for  the  purpose  of 
discouraging  any  who  may  not  possess  a  favored  degree  of 
sensibility,  or  ardor  of  conviction,  but  simply  with  the  aim 
of  correcting  the  neglect  to  stir  up  the  gift  that  is  in  them. 
In  all  the  criticisms  and  suggestions  which  are  made  it  is 
the  ideal  standard  which  is  held  up  to  view.  And  who  is 
not  bitterly  conscious  of  the  vast  difference  between  the 
ideal  and  the  actual  achievement  ?  Who,  that  rightly  ap- 
preciates the  solemnity  and  responsibility  of  the  sacred 
office,  would  not  shrink  from  undertaking  his  unspeakably 
momentous  duties,  or  fail  to  appreciate  the  hesitation  of 
those  earlier  heralds  of  the  Divine  Word — of  Moses,  who 
said  :  "  Who  am  I,  that  I  should  go  unto  Pharaoh,  and 
that  I  should  bring  forth  the  children  of  Israel  out  of  Egypt  ? 
.  .  .  They  will  not  believe  me,  nor  hearken  unto  my  voice: 
for  they  will  say.  The  Lord  hath  not  appeared  unto  thee. 
...  0  my  Lord,  I  am  not  eloquent,  neither  heretofore 
nor  since  Thou  hast  appeared  unto  Thy  servant ;  but  I  am 
slow  of  speech,  and  of  a  slow  tongue  "  ;  or  of  Isaiah,  who 
said  :  "  Woe  is  me  !  for  I  am  undone  ;  because  I  am  a  man 
of  unclean  lips,  and  I  dwell  in  the  midst  of  a  peojDle  of  un- 
clean lips  "  ;  or  of  Jeremiah  :  "  Ah  !  Lord  God,  behold,  I 
can  not  speak,  for  I  am  a  child  "  ;  or  of  Jonah,  who  rose 
to  flee  from  the  presence  of  his  God  ;  or  even  of  the  chief 
speaker  of  the  apostolic  college,  who  recorded  against  him- 
self that  he  was  in  speech  contemptible,  and  prayed  that  a 
door  of  speech  might  be  opened  to  him,  to  tell  the  mystery 
of  Christ,  as  he  besought  men,  in  Christ's  stead,  to  be 
reconciled  to  God.  These  passages  do  not,  of  course,  ap- 
j)ly  primarily  to  the  art  of  elocution,  but  indirectly  they 
certainly  do  so  apply.  And  in  the  great  Ambassador  from 
God  to  man — Who  must  have  had  some  peculiarly  attractive 
and  expressive  grace  in  His  utterances,  Who  "spake  as 


EXPBESSIOK  135 

never  man  spake,"  ''as  one  having  authority,  and  not  as 
the  scribes,"  causing  the  people  to  wonder  at  the  "gracious 
words  which  proceeded  out  of  His  mouth " — we  find  the 
highest  inspiring  Model.  If  we  fail  in  a  resemblance  to 
Him,  it  should  strengthen  us,  if  we  recall  those  other  in- 
stances which  show  that  the  voice,  as  well  as  power  of  heart 
and  mind,  has  been  committed  to  earthen  vessels. 

If  there  is  to  be  expression,  there  must,  then,  be  feel- 
ing to  found  it  upon.  The  study  of  the  character  of  the 
Service  becomes  helpful  to  this  end.  The  moment,  how- 
ever, that  we  begin  upon  interpretation,  we  encounter  dif- 
ferent schools  of  thought  and  opposing  theories,  which  for- 
bid the  closest  analysis,  and  confine  us  to  those  particu- 
lars in  which  the  majority  may  be  found  to  agree.  Every 
clergyman  would  naturally  have  his  preference  in  using 
the  discretion  granted  in  the  rubric,  as  to  whether  he  will 
*'read,  say,  or  sing  "the  Service.  Our  discussion  relates 
simply  to  its  expressive  and  appropriate  reading. 

There  are  certain  thoughts  relating  to  a  standard  of  ex- 
pression, which  must  be  obvious  to  the  great  majority  of 
readers,  yet  which  are  disregarded  by  some.  The  standard 
is  not  that  of  the  stage,  for  the  purpose  of  theatrical  repre- 
sentations is  to  reproduce  human  life  and  passion  by  purely 
mimetic  effects.  There  is  simulation,  but  no  originating 
power  in  this.  Nor  is  the  eloquence  of  the  bar  to  be  taken 
as  the  rule,  which  is  chiefly  argumentative,  not  hortatory, 
nor  intercessory.  Again,  the  oratory  of  the  rostrum,  be- 
ing for  the  display  of  the  theme,  and  not  for  the  immedi- 
ate purpose  of  affecting  the  lives  and  souls  of  men,  is  no 
more  reliable  as  a  standard  of  the  sacred  office.  Prayer, 
praise,  and  preaching  are  of  a  temper  and  character  differ- 
ent from  all  these,  and  their  impressive  effects  can  not  be 
legitimately  engrafted  upon  the  Prayer-Book  or  the  sermon. 

Other  reflections  suggest  themselves,  relating  to  the 
character  in  which  the  reader  and  preacher  stands  before 
the  people :  in  the  solemn  office  he  bears,  in  the  momentous 


136  READIXG    OF  TEE  SERVICE. 

import  and  liigli  aim  of  every  public  service,  in  the  nature 
of  the  Service  itself,  the  place  in  which  it  is  celebrated,  and 
the  twofold  purpose  which,  like  the  inscription  on  the  high- 
priest's  breast-plate,  must  be  the  perpetual  motto  of  all 
work  of  the  sacred  ministry  :  "  For  the  glory  of  God  and 
the  edifying  of  His  people." 


CHAPTER  I. 

ANALYSIS   OF    THE    CHARACTEEISTICS    CON"TAI]SrED   I:N"   THE 
BOOK  OF  COMMON  PRATER  AS  A  GUIDE  TO  EXPRESSION. 

The  Service  has  suMimify  and  majesty,  which  give  dig- 
nity and  force  in  its  expression.  It  has  also  perfect  sim- 
pticity,  which  gives  the  naturalness  and  directness  to  the 
reading.  And  it  has,  finally,  reverential  fervor,  which  im- 
parts warmth  to  the  style. 

K'ow,  if  the  reader  will  question  with  himself  whether 
these  effects  are  secured  by  his  reading,  and  finds  that  they 
are,  in  these  respects,  at  least,  the  reading  is  good.  But,  if 
any  one  of  the  characteristics  above  described  be  wanting, 
the  result  must  fall  short  of  the  true  standards.  For  in- 
stance, if  the  style  be  sufificiently  dignified,  and  properly 
tempered  by  its  opposite,  the  due  simplicity,  yet  lack  the 
reverent  and  fervent  effect  of  the  third  characteristic,  it 
will  still  be  imperfect.  Or  if  the  simplicity  and  reverential 
fervor  be  expressed,  without  a  just  degree  of  dignity,  that 
lack  will  render  the  reading  defective  and  unpleasant.  Or, 
again,  omitting  the  natural  and  direct  expression,  which 
interprets  the  simplicity  of  the  Service,  we  have  only  dig- 
nity and  fervor,  without  that  personality  which  appeals  im- 
mediately to  the  heart. 

Defects  appear  still  further  in  giving  undue  prominence 
to  a  single  quality  of  the  Service,  as  where  the  style  is  un- 


CHABACTERISTICS  OF  EXPRESSION.  I37 

tempered  with  simplicity  and  fervor,  and  the  excessive 
majesty  renders  it  pompous.  Quite  as  objectionable  is  the 
error  of  making  simplicity  the  prominent  effect,  so  that, 
unbalanced  by  the  weight  of  dignity,  and  unwarmed  by 
chastened  fervor,  it  becomes  simply  trivial.  The  intensi- 
fied manner  of  fervor,  unrestrained  by  dignity  or  sim- 
plicity, is  often  unpleasant,  through  the  lack  of  those  ele- 
ments. 

It  would  seem  scarcely  necessary  to  discuss  at  great 
length  those  unfortunate  misrepresentations  of  the  Service 
which  are  found  in  addition  to  those  already  mentioned, 
yet  they  are  so  frequent  as  to  require  notice  here.  First, 
undue  rapidity  is  to  be  avoided,  since  from  this  it  would 
appear  that  the  reader  thought  little  and  felt  less  in  regard 
to  the  Service,  that  he  was  in  haste  to  be  rid  of  it,  that  he 
had  a  contemptuous  disregard  for  the  entire  Order  of 
Prayer,  and  was  only  hurrying  to  have  it  out  of  the  way  as 
soon  as  possible.  To  say  the  least  of  such  reading,  it  is  un- 
pardonably  irreverent,  and  rattles  through  the  august  titles 
of  the  Supreme  God  as  if  they  were  so  many  items  in  the 
advertisement  of  an  auctioneer.  The  author  once  heard  a 
reader  give  the  entire  Exhortation  with  but  two  catches  of 
his  breath,  which  were  barely  sufficient  to  enable  the  voice 
to  gallop  through  at  his  greatest  speed. 

The  opposite  of  this  flippant  rapidity  is  an  intolerable 
and  monotonous  dullness  of  the  sloio  movement,  which  is 
apathetic  and  soporific  in  its  influence,  and,  therefore,  un- 
endurable. The  weariness  created  by  this  drawling  move- 
ment is  certainly  of  no  more  moral  benefit  than  the  fault 
of  rapid  flippancy. 

Thirdly,  we  sometimes  note  a  husi7iess-like  air,  which  is 
better  adapted  to  the  clerk  making  sales  at  the  counter  than 
to  the  clergyman  in  the  chancel  or  the  pulpit. 

The  mincinn  tone  of  false  taste  is  another  serious  hin- 
drance to  propriety  of  expression.  There  can  be  only  words 
of  condemnation  for  that  style  of  reading  which  imitates 


138  READING    OF  THE  SERVICE. 

theatrical  effects,  in  startling  and  unexpected  Tarieties  of 
flashing  emotion.  The  perfunctory  and  heartless  style — 
another  extreme,  though  less  offensive — is  still  decidedly 
out  of  character.  Such  are  a  few  of  the  prominent  defects 
in  the  leaders  of  public  worship.  It  would  be  well  for 
every  reader  of  the  Service  to  observe  narrowly  his  own 
style,  to  see  whether  he  is  representing  thus  imperfectly 
the  worship  of  the  Church,  and  to  satisfy  himself,  if  pos- 
sible, that  his  reading  is  characterized  by  the  dignity,  the 
simplicity,  and  the  reverential  fervor  which,  when  united, 
give  tone  and  character  to  the  Service. 


CHAPTER  11. 

THE  OPENING   SENTENCES,  ETC.,   OF  MOENING   AKD   EVEN- 
ING  PKAYER. 

It  should  be  observed  that  the  three  leading  character- 
istics already  mentioned  are  presupposed  in  advance  of  all 
the  various  discussions  of  secondary  topics. 

Leaving,  for  the  time,  the  three  opening  Sentences, 
found  only  in  the  American  book,  we  begin  with  the 
fourth. 

"  When  the  wicked  man  turneth  away  from  his  wicked- 
ness that  he  hath  committed,  and  doeth  that  which  is 
lawful  and  right,  he  shall  save  his  soul  alive." — Ezek. 
xxiii.,  27. 

The  teaching  of  the  Sentence  prompts  repentance. 
The  voice,  therefore,  should  have  the  expression  of  the  dis- 
tinct and  emphatic  announcement  of  the  conditions  of 
pardon,  and  the  miraculous  efficacy  of  turning  from  un- 
righteousness to  obedience. 

*'  I  acknowledge  my  transgressions  ;  and  my  sin  is  ever 
before  me." — Psalm  li.,  3. 


OPEKING  SENTE^''CES,  ETC.  139 

The  fifth  Sentence  candidly  utters  the  deep  sense  of  our 
sinfulness.  The  contrite  voice  of  confession  differs  slightly 
from  the  voice  of  statement  of  the  express  conditions  in 
the  fourth  Sentence. 

"Hide  thy  face  from  my  sins;  and  blot  out  all  mine 
iniquities." — Psalm  li.,  9. 

Earnest  entreaty  under  the  deepest  conviction  of  sin  is 
the  character  of  the  sixth  Sentence. 

"The  sacrifices  of  God  are  a  broken  spirit:  a  broken 
and  a  contrite  heart,  0  God,  thou  wilt  not  despise." — 
Psalm  li.,  17. 

Instruction  to  the  contrite  and  confession  to  Almighty 
God  are  the  two  characteristics  of  the  seventh  Sentence. 

"Eend  your  heart,  and  not  your  garments,  and  turn 
unto  the  Lord  your  God  ;  for  he  is  gracious  and  merciful, 
slow  to  anger,  and  of  great  kindness,  and  repenteth  him  of 
the  evil." — Joel,  ii.,  13. 

Stern  command  to  duty  and  comforting  assurance  to 
the  obedient  form  the  expression  for  the  eighth  Sentence. 

"  To  the  Lord  our  God  belong  mercies  and  forgivenesses, 
though  we  have  rebelled  against  him.  Neither  have  we 
obeyed  the  voice  of  the  Lord  our  God,  to  walk  in  his  laws 
which  he  set  before  us." — Dan.  ix.,  9,  10. 

To  inspire  confidence  in  the  Divine  mercy,  with  confes- 
sion of  sinfulness,  marks  the  teaching  of  this,  the  ninth 
Sentence. 

"  0  Lord,  correct  me,  but  with  judgment ;  not  in  thine 
anger,  lest  thou  bring  me  to  nothing." — Jer.  x.,  34  ;  Psalm 
vi.,  1. 

Reverent  submission,  with  contrition,  is  the  spirit  of 
the  tenth  Sentence. 

"  Repent  ye  ;  for  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  is  at  hand." 
—St.  Matt,  iii.,  2. 

Authoritative  exhortation  to  repentance  is  the  teaching 
of  the  eleventh  Sentence. 

"  I  will  arise,  and  go  to  my  father,  and  I  will  say  unto 


140  READiy-G   OF  THE  SERVICE. 

bim,  Father,  I  have  sinned  against  heaven,  and  before  thee, 
and  am  no  more  worthy  to  be  called  thy  son. " — St.  Luke, 
XV.,  18,  19. 

In  the  twelfth  Sentence  we  find  contrite  resolution  and 
self-abasement. 

"Enter  not  into  judgment  with  thy  servant,  0  Lord  ; 
for  in  thy  sight  shall  no  man  living  be  justified." — Psalm 
cxliii.,  2. 

Earnest  entreaty,  with  penitent  pleading,  is  the  language 
of  the  thirteenth  Sentence. 

"If  we  say  that  we  have  no  sin,  we  deceive  ourselves, 
and  the  truth  is  not  in  us ;  but  if  we  confess  our  sins,  God 
is  faithful  and  just  to  forgive  us  our  sins,  and  to  cleanse  us 
from  all  unrighteousness." — I.  John,  i.,  8,  9. 

To  admonish  and  instruct  the  self-righteous  is  the  teach- 
ing of  the  last  Sentence. 

All  these  Sentences  have  a  penitential  character.  Upon 
their  teaching  are  founded  the  words  of  the  General  Exhor- 
tation. The  Confession  follows  in  natural  order,  and 
demands  the  comfort  of  the  Absolution  succeeding.  These 
Sentences,  then,  are  harmonious  in  their  general  spirit,  and 
tend  to  a  single  conclusion.  The  voice  of  the  reader 
should,  as  far  as  possible,  interpret  and  enforce  these  various 
instructions,  so  that  the  wicked  man  may  really  feel  ex- 
horted to  turn  from  his  wickedness ;  that  the  transgressor 
of  God's  laws  may  feel  deeply  and  truly  the  acknowledg- 
ment of  his  ever-present  sin  ;  that  the  soul,  overwhelmed 
with  a  sense  of  its  sinfulness,  may  feel,  in  very  truth,  that 
the  cry  goes  up  to  God  to  hide  His  face  from  the  sin,  and 
blot  out  all  the  iniquity ;  that  the  contrite  heart  is  not 
despised  by  God  ;  that  the  rending  of  the  heart,  and  not 
the  garments,  is  the  turning  to  God,  and  secures  His  favor  ; 
that,  although  we  have  not  obeyed  the  voice  of  the  Lord 
our  God,  there  still  is  mercy  with  Him  ;  that  we  pray  for 
correction,  but  with  a  judgment  tempered  with  mercy ; 
that  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand,  and,  therefore,  we 


OPENING  SENTENCES,  ETC.  141 

must  repent ;  tliat  we  are,  as  the  profligate  prodigal,  no 
longer  worthy  the  name  of  son ;  that  we  deprecate  the 
Divine  judgment,  according  to  our  deeds,  for  then  none 
living  may  be  justified ;  that  we  are  warned  against  self- 
righteousness,  which  pronounces  us  without  sin,  and  are 
taught  that  it  is  confession  to  God  which  brings  us  the 
needed  cleansing. 

This,  or  something  akin  to  this,  is  the  plain  language  of 
the  penitential  sentences.  They  certainly  mean  as  much  as 
this,  they  certainly  aim  to  establish  such  convictions  ;  and 
to  read  them  in  a  heartless,  perfunctory,  unmeaning  way 
would  seem  to  be  a  deliberate  effort  to  deprive  them  of  their 
true  sense  and  to  nullify  their  mission  to  human  souls. 

While,  however,  they  are  so  expressive,  and  are  thus  to 
teach  their  own  inspired  truth,  the  reader  must  bear  in 
mind  that  there  is  a  harmony  to  be  established  in  the  Ser- 
vice throughout,  that  the  three  leading  effects  of  the  dig- 
nity, the  simplicity,  and  i\\e  fervor  of  the  Service  are  at  all 
times  to  be  preserved  ;  tbat  no  one  portion  of  the  Service  is 
to  be  made  to  stand  out  in  undue  jorominence  above  the 
rest ;  and  that  the  entire  expression  aims  not  to  startle  the 
ear,  or  to  produce  dramatic  effect,  but  simply  to  reach  the 
soul,  to  convince  it  of  its  own  sinfulness,  and  of  God's 
readiness  to  pardon  every  repentant  and  contrite  heart. 
The  manner  of  such  a  reader  as  the  late  lamented  Eev.  Dr. 
Francis  Hawks  will  better  verify  the  triithfulness  of  tbe 
theories  here  advanced  than  any  labored  argument  to  this 
end.  "VYe  can  but  sum  \\\}  all  by  saying  that  the  utteraiice 
of  the  Sentences  should  be  with  expression  according  to  their 
meaning,  with  the  variety  which  they  naturally  suggest, 
and  yet  with  the  harmony  of  unity  in  their  intelligent  use. 

The  three  Sentences  remaining  to  be  considered,  not 
being  penitential,  may  be  discussed  separately. 

The  first  is  expressive  of  the  profoundest  depth  of  rever- 
ential awe,  and  enforces  the  truth,  so  thrillingly  impressive, 
when  it  first  strikes  the  mind  consciously,  that  we  as  a 


142  READING   OF  THE  SERVICE. 

worshiping  assembly  are  actually  in  the  Divine  presence. 
"  Wheresoever  two  or  three  are  gathered  together  in  My 
name,  there  am  I  in  the  midst  of  them."  All  that  is  trivial 
or  irreverent,  hasty  or  ill-considered,  in  the  exjoression,  is 
utterly  at  variance  with  the  profound  solemnity  of  the 
truth  declared.  If  we  are  verily  persuaded  that  God  is 
with  us  of  a  truth,  we  can  not  declare  the  fact  of  His 
presence  without  being  impressed  by,  and  conveying  in  the 
utterance,  the  vocal  interpretation  of  the  thought. 

"  The  Lord  is  in  his  holy  temple  ;  let  all  the  earth  keep 
silence  before  him." — Hab.  ii.,  30. 

The  second  Sentence  utters  a  sublime  and  glowing  proph- 
ecy of  the  omnipotent  might  and  majesty  of  the  Name  of 
God,  before  Whom  all  the  nations  shall  bow  ;  from  the  east 
to  the  west  shall  God  be  honored  and  glorified.  With  such 
thoughts  and  such  language  to  guide  the  utterance,  and 
such  a  glorifying  of  the  Divine  name,  how  pitiably  inex- 
pressive, how  puerile  and  characterless,  would  seem  to  be 
the  precipitate  haste  and  the  unmeaning  mumbling  of 
thoughtless  and  inefficient  expression  ! 

"  From  the  rising  of  the  sun  even  unto  the  going  down 
of  the  same,  my  Name  shall  be  great  among  the  Gentiles  ; 
and  in  every  place  incense  shall  be  offered  unto  my  Name, 
and  a  pure  offering  :  for  my  Name  shall  be  great  among 
the  heathen,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts." — Mah  i.,  11. 

The  simplicity  of  the  third  Sentence,  being  so  purely  a 
personal  prayer  of  aspiration,  is  in  marked  contrast  with 
the  profound  awe  of  the  first  and  the  majesty  of  the 
second  Sentence. 

"Let  the  words  of  my  mouth,  and  the  meditation  of 
my  heart,  be  alway  acceptable  in  thy  sight,  0  Lord,  my 
strength  and  my  redeemer." — Psalm  xix.,  14,  15. 

It  would  be  well  if  every  reader  would  occasionally  cate- 
chise himself  by  the  strictest  laws  of  the  interpretation  of 
the  Sentence,  so  as  to  satisfy  himself  that  he  is  giving,  in 
some  degree,  penitential  expression — that  he  is  actually 


OPEXma  8EXTEFCES,  ETC.  143 

touching  human  hearts,  and  leading  them  thi'ough  contri- 
tion to  pardon,  and  that  he  is  really,  as  in  the  first  and 
second  Sentences,  impressing  the  souls  of  his  flock  with  the 
direct  and  immediate  influence  of  God's  presence  among 
them,  and  with  the  glory  of  His  holy  name. 

The  Exhortation 

is  characterized  by  a  greater  degree  of  simplicity  than  the 
preceding  Sentences.  The  reverential  fervor  is  changed  by 
the  pastoral  element,  which  appears  in  the  address  to  the 
people,  as  distinguished  from  the  voice  of  devotion.  It  is 
not  an  easy  thing  to  balance  the  just  degrees  of  the  dignity 
and  the  simplicity  in  the  reading,  for  the  standard  of  the 
expression  varies  considerably,  according  to  the  place  and 
time  in  which  the  Exhortation  is  read.  For  instance,  the 
effect  of  the  reading  differs  in  a  large  church  from  the  ex- 
pression appropriate  in  a  country  school-house.  The 
solemnity  of  the  Exhortation,  on  the  occasion  of  an  Ash- 
Wednesday  Service,  diflers  entirely  from  the  jubilant  ex- 
pression appropriate  to  the  Consecration  Service,  etc.  But 
in  every  event  the  reader,  as  pastor,  is  exhorting  the  con- 
gregation to  a  solemn  duty.  The  earnestness  and  directness 
of  the  expression,  which  is  partly  personal  in  character, 
should  be  strongly  marked,  as  though  the  reader  were 
actually  exhorting  and  instructing  the  people  to  confess 
their  sins,  especially  at  that  time.  This  would  prevent 
anything  like  perfunctory  and  mechanical  coldness  in  the 
style.  If,  however,  the  personality  of  the  manner  is  carried 
too  far,  it  destroys  the  dignity  and  impressiveness,  and  pro- 
duces an  effect  such  as  was  described  in  the  simple  language 
of  a  child  in  the  words  :  ''He  spoke  it  as  though  it  came 
right  out  of  his  own  mind."  In  reading  the  Service  in  the 
Book  of  Common  Prayer,  it  must  ever  bo  remembered  that 
the  reader  is  using  the  appointed  thought  and  language  of 
the  Church,  and,  while  he  is  personally  in  deepest  sympa- 
thy with  every  utterance,  he  is  not  the  originator  of  the 
1 


14:4  READING    OF  THE  SERVICE. 

language,  so  that,  in  this  sense,  it  lacks  one  element  of  per- 
sonality. We  use  a  Book  of  Common  Prayer,  which,  by 
necessity,  suj)presses  much  of  individualism  of  expression 
in  reading. 

The  peculiarity  of  the  rhetorical  structure  of  the  com- 
position of  the  Exhortation  renders  it  one  of  the  most  dif- 
licult  portions  of  the  Church  Service  to  read  expressively. 
But  the  leading  thought  of  the  reader  should  be  to  make  it 
truly  an  cxliortation.  How  often  is  this,  its  leading  char- 
acter, in  any  way  impressed  upon  the  attention  of  the  wor- 
shiper ?  How  often  do  we  feel  that  we  are  exhorted  to 
discharge  a  duty  ?  If  the  reader  keeps  this  in  mind,  it 
will  assist  in  giving  emphasis  and  reality  to  this  portion  of 
the  Service.  If,  in  giving  his  ''notices,"  the  pastor  has 
occasion  to  exhort  his  flock,  they  are  left  in  no  doubt  as  to 
what  he  would  have  them  do.  Is  there  any  reason  why 
there  should  not  be  something  of  the  same  clearly  defined 
effect  following  the  reading  of  the  Exhortation  ? 

For  expressive  reading,  the  succeeding  analysis  may 
prove  suggestive  : 

1.  The  phrase  of  address  :  "  Dearly  beloved  brethren." 
"Brethren"  implies  one  degree  of  affectionate  interest, 
*' beloved"  expresses  this  in  increased  degree,  and  "dear- 
ly" deepens  the  feeling  still  further.  It  is  pastoral  in 
character.  If  the  words  mean  anything,  they  express  the 
affectionate  interest  and  solicitude  which  the  minister  of 
Christ  must  feel  in  addressing  the  i:)eople,  or  exhorting 
them  to  a  duty  whose  faithful  discharge  brings  peace  and 
pardon  to  the  soul.  There  is  danger,  indeed,  of  making 
the  expression  excessive,  and  therefore  ridiculous,  which  is 
no  better  than  a  business-like  style,  that  has  no  address  to 
the  soul. 

2.  The  statemeyit :  "The  Scripture  move th  us,  in  sun- 
dry places,  to  acknowledge  and  confess  our  manifold  sins 
and  wickedness  ;  and  that  we  should  not  dissemble  nor 
cloak  them  before  the  face  of  Almighty  God  our  heavenly 


opFyma  sentences,  etc.  145 

Fatlier ;  but  confess  them  with  an  humble,  lowly,  penitent, 
and  obedient  heart ;  to  the  end  that  we  may  obtain  forgive- 
ness of  the  same,  by  his  infinite  goodness  and  mercy.  And 
although  we  ought,  at  all  times,  humbly  to  acknowledge 
our  sins  before  God  ;  yet  ought  we  chiefly  so  to  do,  when 
we  assemble  and  meet  together — " 

A  slight  emphasis  is  to  be  given  on  the  word  '' Scrip- 
ture." The  directions  as  to  the  manner  of  confessing  our 
sins  should  be  emphasized  exj^licitly,  and  with  solemnity 
of  deprecation  against  hypocrisy  before  God.  "To  the 
end  "  should  receive  full  emphasis,  as  the  final  aim  of  the 
Confession  to  which  we  are  exhorted — which  is  the  for- 
giveness of  our  sins  by  the  infinite  mercy  of  God. 

3.  The  enumeration  of  the  different  parts  of  Divine 
loorshijy :  "To  render  thanks  for  the  great  benefits  that  we 
have  received  at  his  hands,  to  set  forth  his  most  worthy 
praise,  to  hear  his  most  holy  Word,  and  to  ask  those  things 
which  are  requisite  and  necessary,  as  well  for  the  body  as 
the  soul. "  The  various  particulars  here  enumerated  should 
be  given  with  distinctive  emphasis,  that  the  peoj^le  may  be 
reminded  of  the  various  duties  and  privileges  set  before 
them — thanksgiving,  praise,  instructions  from  God's  Word, 
and  prayer. 

4.  T7ie  bidding:  ''Wherefore  I  pray  and  beseech  you, 
as  many  as  are  here  present,  to  accomjDany  me  with  a  pure 
heart,  and  humble  voice,  unto  the  throne  o'f  the  heavenly 
grace,  saying — "  The  language  now  being  more  personal, 
the  force  of  voice  is  more  subdued,  although  the  expression 
loses  none  of  its  earnestness,  but  is  rather  increased  in  that 
respect.  "Unto  the  throne  of  the  heavenly  grace"  should 
be  given  with  full  voice,  the  word  "saying"*  subdued. 

As  exhortation  to  duty  inclines  to  solemnity  of  expres- 
sion, the  falling  slides  arc  frequently  heard  throughout. 
The  inflection  in  the  phrase  of  address  on  the  word  "breth- 
ren "  may  be  suspended,   or  falling,  according  to  the  de- 

*  See  Topic  "Pause"  on  the  word  "saying." 


146  READING   OF  THE  SERVICE. 

gree  of  the  solemnity  of  feeling  to  be  expressed  at  the 
time. 

"  Its  expressions  are  adapted  to  instruct  the  ignorant, 
to  admonish  the  negligent,  to  support  the  fearful,  to  com- 
fort the  doubtful,  to  caution  the  formal,  and  to  check  the 
presumptuous — tempers  which  are  found  in  every  mixed 
congregation,  and  which  ought  to  be  prepared  for  the  sol- 
emn work  of  confession  of  sin."  * 

It  will  be  found  suggestive  in  study  to  compare  the  Gen- 
eral Exhortation  with  the  addresses  and  exhortations  in  the 
various  other  services.  Some  of  them,  as  in  the  Holy  Com- 
munion Service,  contain  far  greater  solemnity,  and  others, 
as  in  the  Baptismal  Service,  less  of  it,  than  that  required 
in  the  Exhortation  for  the  Daily  Prayer. 

TJie  Confession. 

We  pass  now  from  the  voice  of  instruction  to  the  voice 
of  confession  and  prayer,  from  speaking  to  men  to  speak- 
ing unto  God.  The  depth  and  earnestness  of  the  feeling 
prompt  to  that  emphasis,  stronger  than  in  ordinary  j^rayer, 
which  is  characteristic  of  confession  and  contrition.  The 
exhortation  has  already  sounded  the  key,  so  to  speak,  in 
the  words  ''with  an  humble  voice."  To  give  it  with  loud 
force  is,  to  say  the  least,  oj)posed  to  the  manner  of  utter- 
ance as  suggested  by  the  exhortation.  Sinking  the  voice 
entirely  to  pianissimo  is  not  leading  the  congregation.  In 
all  portions,  when  the  congregation  accompany  the  minis- 
ter, a  rhythmical  evenness  of  the  movement  must  be  sus- 
tained, in  order  that  the  congregation  may  easily  follow. 
"What  will  be  said  in  the  discussion  of  the  voice  in  the  read- 
ing of  the  Prayers  will  apply  equally  well  here,  and  to  that 
the  student  is  referred.  The  marked  particulars  of  the  ex- 
pression of  the  various  portion,  being  lost  in  the  res|)onse 
of  the  voices  of  the  congregation,  require  but  little  discus- 
sion. 

*  Proctor  on  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer. 


OPEXING  SENTENCES,  ETC.  147 

The  Absolution. 

The  title  and  the  rubric  here  furnish  us  with  the  first 
suggestions  for  the  reading.  It  is  the  declaration  of  Ahso- 
hition.  The  article  the  seems  by  its  definiteness  to  give  a 
certain  degree  of  force  and  precision  to  the  character  of  the 
act  to  be  done  ;  the  effect  would  be  softened  by  the  use  of 
the  indefinite  a.  The  Absolution  is  declared,  the  Bene- 
diction is  pronounced,  the  Exhortation  is  said,  the  Sen- 
tences are  read,  the  Psalms  and  Hymns  are  announced,  etc. 
These  terms  are  not  used  without  meaning  ;  they  are  not 
synonymous  ;  in  each  case  they  suggest  something,  however 
slightly,  for  the  expression,  in  the  nature  of  the  act  per- 
formed. 

The  Absolution  is  the  only  passage  which  has  "de- 
clared" attached  to  it.  It  is,  no  doubt,  on  account  of  its 
authoritative  character,  and  is  all  the  stronofcr  for  beina: 
impersonal  in  form.  The  priest  declares  it,  not  of  himself 
nor  for  himself,  but  for  Almighty  God.  "  He  pardoneth 
and  absolveth."  It  is  a  declaration — officially,  not  person- 
ally authoritative — in  the  name  of  God. 

The  voice  of  authority,  and  of  deliberate,  emphatic  dec- 
laration (not  crier-like),  should  be  heard,  and  the  declaration 
is  softened  by  the  thought  of  infinite  love  and  mercy  which 
it  sets  forth,  strengtliened  also  by  the  ''power  and  com- 
mandment" which  God  hath  given  to  His  Ministers  to  de- 
clare His  terms  of  pardon  to  His  people.  It  is  a  declara- 
tion of  divine  mercy  by  the  voice  of  official  authority. 

In  the  second  sentence  the  expression  becomes  marked 
by  the  sympathetic  tones  which  show  the  deep  and  tender 
interest  the  Minister  takes  in  the  spiritual  welfare  of  those 
for  whom  he  thus  officiates,  and  yet  this  is  not  to  overcome 
the  dignity  and  authority  of  the  expression. 

The  closing  sentence,  being  hortatory,  requires  the 
change  which  marks  the  difference  between  exliortation 
and  declaration.     This  is  the  third  distinct  division  for 


148  READING   OF  THE  SERVICE. 

study  in  expression,  to  be  marked  with  corresponding 
changes  of  voice.  The  expression  naturally  deepens  and 
softens,  and  requires  a  retarded  movement  and  increasing 
length  of  pause  at  each  clause  throughout  the  sentence. 

The  reader  should  aim  to  secure  such  an  expression  for 
the  whole  passage  as  to  satisfy  him  that  no  one  present  can 
possibly  be  ignorant  of  God's  terms  of  forgiveness,  as  they 
have  been  proclaimed;  and  then  if,  in  addition  to  this,  he 
can  satisfy  himself  that  he  has  declared  the  will  of  God  so 
affectionately,  earnestly,  and  authoritatively,  that  no  one 
present  ought  to  be  unmindful  of  it,  he  may  be  assured 
that  his  reading  befits  his  sacred  office.  This  implies,  with- 
out a  doubt,  a  certain  degree  of  sensitiveness  both  in  the 
ear  and  conscience. 

In  review,  the  natural  threefold  division  of  the  Abso- 
lution should  be  impressed  on  the  memory,  as  an  aid  to  its 
correct  reading,  the  first  sentence  being  the  declaration  of 
the  authority  of  the  sacred  office,  the  second  a  declaration 
of  God's  tender  mercies,  and  the  third  an  exhortation  to 
prayer  for  spiritual  graces  and  the  help  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 


CHAPTER  in. 

THE   ANTHEMS,    CREED,    ETC. 

The  title  implies,  of  course,  that  these  portions  of  the 
Service  which  are  found  following  the  Lessons,  and  the 
Venite,  preceding  the  Psalter  for  the  day,  were  designed 
primarily  for  singing,  and  not  for  reading.  But,  wherever 
they  are  read,  it  should  be  understood  that  they  are  offer- 
ings of  the  praise  and  thanksgiving  of  the  heart,  as  truly 
in  their  reading  as  in  the  higher  art  of  music.  When  we 
are  "singing  and  making  melody  in  our  hearts  to  the 
Lord,"  it  is  tbe  instinct  of  nature  to  sing  with  the  voice. 


THE  ANTHEMS.  140 

and  that  is  described  iu  inspired  language  as  the  utterance 
of  the  worshipers  on  high.  It  is  only  the  restricting  neces- 
sities of  the  case  which  comiael  us  to  suppress  this  natural 
instinct  of  the  soul  when  attuned  to  harmony,  and  drives 
us  to  accept  the  expedient  of  the  ordinary  speaking  voice. 
But  even  with  this  impaired  power  of  expression  there 
should  be,  at  least,  the  impulse  to  make  a  "joyful  noise" 
when  we  "feed  on  thoughts  that  voluntary  move  harmo- 
nious numhers,"  and  attune  heart  and  voice  to  praise  the 
Lord. 

The  heart  and  zest  of  such  expressions  as  "Let  us 
heartily  rejoice  in  the  strength  of  our  salvation,"  "And 
show  ourselves  glad  in  Ilim  with  psalms,"  "  Let  us  wor- 
ship and  fall  down  .  .  .  before  the  Lord  our  maker," 
"  0  worshij)  the  Lord  in  the  beauty  of  holiness,"  "  0  bo 
joyful  in  the  Lord,  all  ye  lands,  .  .  .  come  before  his  pres- 
ence with  a  song,"  "  0  go  your  way  into  His  courts  with 
praise,"  "Show  yourselves  joyful  unto  the  Lord,  all  ye 
lands,"  "With  trumpets  also  and  shawms,  0  show  your- 
selves joyful  before  the  Lord  the  King,"  "Let  the  sea 
make  a  noise,"  "Let  the  floods  clap  their  hands,  and  let 
the  hills  be  joyful  together  before  the  Lord,"  "I  will  re- 
joice in  giving  praise  for  the  operations  of  Thy  hands," 
"Praise  the  Lord,  0  my  soul,  and  all  that  is  within  me, 
praise  Ilis  holy  jSTame,"  imply  a  suggestive  fullness  of  ex- 
pression which  saves  the  language  from  becoming  utterly 
weak  and  inexpressive  through  reading.  It  is  not  only  in- 
congruous, but  borders  closely  upon  the  absurd,  Avhcre  such 
lofty  expressions  of  whole-hearted  and  whole-souled  praise 
and  thanksgiving  are  uttered  with  the  unmeaning  flippancy 
of  indifferent  colloquial  familiarity.  The  opposite  error  of 
an  expression  offensively  pompous  is  simply  another  indica- 
tion of  a  heart  out  of  tunc  with  the  sublimity  and  the  beauty 
of  tlie  jubilant  portions  of  the  Service.  Any  expression  iu 
any  part  of  the  Service  which  is  mechanical,  unnatural,  or 
assumed,  grates  offensively  upon  the  car,  whether  it  be  iu 


150  EEADma    OF  THE  SERVICE. 

the  reading  of  praise,  instruction,  or  prayer.  But  the  de- 
fects to  which  we  are  liable  should  never  discourage  the 
reader  in  the  effort  to  make  the  words  of  praise  sound 
through  the  full-tuned  voice  of  heartfelt  gratitude. 

The  Te  Deum  is,  of  course,  the  grandest  hymn  of  praise, 
and  is  invaluable  as  a  study  for  emotional  and  vocal  expres- 
sion. The  art  of  music  has  lent  its  aid  to  its  proper  emo- 
tional interpretation,  and  the  study  of  its  varied  expression 
may  help  the  reader  to  fully  receive  its  meaning.  The  litur- 
gical divisions  are  of  further  aid  to  the  vocal  exjDression  ; 
they  are  threefold :  First,  the  act  of  Praise,  or  the  Doxology ; 
second,  the  Confession  of  Faith  ;  and,  third,  the  act  of 
Intercession.  These  divisions  are  all  alike  expressions  of 
praise,  but  the  first  has  the  fullest  measure  of  it.  The 
Confession  of  Faith,  which  is  jubilant  and  eucharistic  in 
character,  begins  at  the  words,  "  The  Holy  Church  through- 
out all  the  world  doth  acknowledge  Thee,"  and  extends  to 
the  words,  "  We  therefore  pray  Thee,  help  Thy  servants," 
the  remainder  being  supplicatory,  with  gratitude  sustained 
throughout. 

I.  The  Doxology. — This  division  should  be  rendered 
with  the  fullest  voice  of  grateful  praise.  A  sufficient  de- 
gree of  slowness,  with  marked  emphasis  to  inter^^ret  the 
majesty  and  glory  of  the  theme,  should  characterize  the 
expression.  A  light  degree  of  force  and  rapidity  of  move- 
ment destroy  the  dignity  and  grandeur  of  the  thought,  and 
do  not  awaken  the  heart  to  the  genuine  fervor  of  gratitude. 

"We  praise  thee,  0  God  ;  we  acknowledge  thee  to  be 
the  Lord. 

"  All  the  earth  doth  worship  thee,  the  Father  ever- 
lasting. 

"  To  thee,  all  Angels  cry  aloud  ;  the  Heavens,  and  all 
the  Powers  therein. 

''  To  thee,  Cherubim  and  Seraphim  continually  do  cry, 

"  Holy,  Holy,  Holy,  Lord  God  of  Sabaoth  ; 

"  Heaven  and  earth  are  full  of  the  Majesty  of  thy  Glory. 


777^  ANTHEMS.  151 

*'The  glorious  company  of  the  Apostles  j)raise  thee. 
"  The  goodly  fellowship  of  the  Prophets  praise  thee. 
"The  noble  army  of  Martyrs  praise  thee." 

II.  The  Confession  of  Faith. — This  portion  has  the 
same  movement  and  emphasis  as  before,  but  the  pitch  is 
naturally  on  a  lower  key.  The  drift  of  the  voice  is  to  the 
downward  slides,  to  impart  the  effect  of  declaration. 

"  The  holy  Church  throughout  all  the  world  doth  ac- 
knowledge thee  ; 

"  The  Father,  of  an  infinite  Majesty  ; 

"Thine  adorable,  true,  and  only  Son  ; 

"  Also  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  Comforter. 

'*'  Thou  art  the  King  of  Glory,  0  Christ. 

"  Thou  art  the  everlasting  Son  of  the  Father. 

"When  thou  tookest  upon  thee  to  deliver  man,  thou 
didst  humble  thyself  to  be  born  of  a  Virgin. 

"  When  thou  hadst  overcome  the  sharpness  of  death, 
thou  didst  open  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  to  all  believers. 

"  Thou  sittest  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  in  the  Glory 
of  the  Father. 

"We  believe  that  thou  shalt  come  to  be  our  Judge." 

III.  TJie  Intercession. — The  voice  of  prayer  is  naturally 
more  subdued  than  that  of  praise.  Hence  the  chastened 
effect  in  the  expression  of  the  third  division,  which  has  the 
same  degree  of  fervor,  although  a  less  forcible  form  of  ex- 
pressing it  than  before. 

"  We  therefore  pray  thee,  help  thy  servants,  whom  thou 
hast  redeemed  with  thy  precious  blood. 

"  Make  them  to  be  numbered  with  thy  Saints,  in  glory 
everlasting. 

"  0  Lord,  save  thy  people,  and  bless  thine  heritage. 

"  Govern  them,  and  lift  them  up  for  ever. 

"  Day  by  day  we  magnify  thee  ; 

"  And  we  worsliip  thy  Name  ever,  world  without  end. 

"  Vouclisafe,  0  Lord,  to  keep  us  this  day  without  sin. 

"  0  Lord,  have  mercy  upon  us,  have  mercy  upon  us. 


152  READING   OF  TEE  SERVICE. 

"  0  Lord,  let  tlij  mercy  be  upon  us,  as  our  trust  is  in 
thee. 

"  0  Lord,  in  thee  have  I  trusted  ;  let  me  never  be  con- 
founded." 

Frequent  practice  upon  the  Benedicite,  Omnia  Opera, 
is  of  great  value  in  forming  the  voice  and  ear  in  the  ex- 
pression of  praise.  Its  daily  use  entire  would  sustain  suffi- 
cient firmness  and  fullness  of  voice  for  the  ordinary  uses  of 
public  speaking. 

To  conclude  the  discussion  of  the  anthems,  if  the  reader 
is  to  give  the  laudatory  portions  of  the  service  characteris- 
tically, they  must  actually  sound  as  praise  to  the  ear. 

The  Creed. 

We  are  now  brought  to  consider  the  expression  of  the 
belief  of  the  Church,  her  articles  of  faith  as  expressed  in 
the  creed  of  the  centuries.  If  the  act  of  a  public  confes- 
sion of  faith  may  have  lost  something  of  its  significance  in 
these  peaceful  times,  when  the  Church  is  permitted  to 
share  the  universal  liberty  of  opinion,  and  to  express  her 
belief  in  the  truth  of  revelation,  without  persecution  or 
disturbance,  yet  the  importance  of  a  frequent  and  general 
declaration  of  the  chief  doctrines  of  our  creed  is  in  no 
respect  diminished,  whether  we  regard  it  as  a  demonstra- 
tion against  false  doctrine  and  unbelief,  or  as  encourage- 
ment to  ourselves  to  hold  fast  the  form  of  sound  words,  once 
delivered  to  the  saints.  According  to  either  view,  it  is  a 
solemn  act  of  professing,  in  the  presence  of  God,  our  belief 
in  the  sublime  trutlis  of  revelation ;  and  it  should  be  per- 
formed with  becoming  deliberation.  Its  hurried  recital  in 
a  medley  of  voices,  and  almost  in  a  single  breath,  destroys 
the  significance  of  the  custom,  and  suggests  the  irreverent 
notion  of  a  rivalry  in  speed  of  utterance  between  the  Min- 
ister and  his  choir.  Even  the  plain  reading  of  it  is  not 
free  from  habitual  errors,  such  as,  "He  rose  again  from 
the  dead,"  as  if  we  declared  our  belief  in  a  repetition  of  the 


THE   CREED.  153 

act ;  the  coupling  together  of  the  Crucifixion,  Death,  and 
Burial  in  one  undiscriminating  sentence,  instead  of  mak- 
ing them  emphatic  and  distinct  articles  of  belief. 

The  true  idea  of  the  expression  would  be  to  give  to  the 
utterance  the  solemn,  earnest,  and  reverent  asseveration  of 
belief,  each  article  delivered  emphatically  and  deliberately, 
as  though  uttering  the  deepest  convictions  of  the  soul. 
The  personal  form  of  the  expression,  *'  I  believe,"  enforces 
this,  and  the  thought  that  it  is  the  essential  faith  of  the 
Church,  and  has  been  so  in  all  time,  should  forbid  any 
careless,  flippant,  or  indifferent  delivery  of  the  "form  of 
sound  words." 

The  clauses  should  be  marked  with  some  des^ree  of  their 
own  characteristic  expression,  as  in  those  especially  relat- 
ing to  the  humiliation  of  the  Eedeemer — "Suffered," 
"Crucified,"  "Dead,"  "Buried"  — in  contrast  with  the 
triumphant  thoughts  of  His  Eesurrection,  Ascension,  and 
Session  in  glory. 

In  the  clauses  of  the  Nicene  Creed — "  God  of  God,  Lidit 
of  Light,  very  God  of  very  God  " — 'the  voice  should  express 
the  profoundest  reverence,  with  deliberate  emphasis,  mark- 
ing the  word  "of"  distinctly,  as  a  strong  emphasis  of  the 
meaning  lies  there.  It  should  be  observed  that  the  em- 
phasis of  the  clause,  "  By  Whom  all  things  were  made," 
decides  for  the  ear  to  which  of  the  sacred  persons  the  clause 
applies.  If  it  refers  to  the  Father,  no  preceding  pause  is 
used.  If  it  refers  primarily  to  the  Son,  the  introductory 
pause  and  the  "emphatic  tie"  carry  the  voice  and  expres- 
sion back  to  those  clauses  which  relate  to  Christ  personally. 
The  pause  preceding  "Whose  kingdom  shall  have  no  end" 
should  be  observed,  lest  the  common,  careless  expression 
should  connect  this  clause  with  the  preceding,  "quick  and 
dead."  In  the  third  paragraph  the  pause  should  be  after 
"Lord,"  to  disconnect  it  from  the  word  "life,"  "Lord" 
referring  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  not  "life." 


15i  READIXO    OF  TEE  SEEVICE. 

The   Apostles'  Creed. 

"  I  believe  in  God  the  Father  Almighty,  Maker  of 
heaven  and  earth  : 

"And  in  Jesus  Christ  his  only  Son  our  Lord  ;  Who  was 
conceived  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  Born  of  the  Virgin  Mary ; 
Suffered  under  Pontius  Pilate,  Was  crucified,  dead,  and 
buried  ;  He  descended  into  hell.  The  third  day  he  rose  from 
the  dead ;  He  ascended  into  heaven.  And  sitteth  on  the 
right  hand  of  God  the  Father  Almighty ;  From  thence  he 
shall  come  to  Judge  the  quick  and  the  dead. 

"  I  beheve  in  the  Holy  Ghost;  The  holy  Catholic  Church, 
The  Communion  of  Saints  ;  The  Forgiveness  of  sins  ;  The 
Resurrection  of  the  body;  And  the  Life  everlasting.  Amen." 

TJie  Nicene  Creed. 

*'  I  believe  in  one  God  the  Father  Almighty,  Maker  of 
heaven  and  earth,  And  of  all  things  visible  and  invisible  : 

"And  in  one  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  only-begotten  Son  of 
God,  Begotten  of  his  Father  before  all  worlds  ;  God  of  God, 
Light  of  Light,  very  God  of  very  God,  Begotten,  not  made. 
Being  of  one  substance  with  the  Father ;  By  whom  all 
things  were  made  ;  Who,  for  us  men,  and  for  our  salvation, 
came  down  from  heaven,  And  was  incarnate  by  the  Holy 
Ghost  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  And  was  made  man,  And  was 
crucified  also  for  us  under  Pontius  Pilate.  He  suffered  and 
was  buried;  And  the  third  day  he  rose  again,  according  to 
the  Scriptures ;  And  ascended  into  heaven,  And  sitteth  on 
the  right  hand  of  the  Father.  And  he  shall  come  again 
with  glory  to  judge  both  the  quick  and  the  dead  ;  Whose 
kingdom  shall  have  no  end. 

"  And  I  believe  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  Lord  and  Giver  of 
Life,  Who  proceedeth  from  the  Father  and  the  Son,  Who 
with  the  Father  and  the  Son  together  is  worshipped  and 
glorified,  Who  spake  by  the  Prophets.  And  I  believe 
one  Catholic  and  Apostolic  Church.  I  acknowledge  one 
Baptism  for  the  remission  of  sins.  And  I   look   for   the 


TEE  CREED.  155 

Resurrection  of  the   dead,    And   the   Life  of   the   world 

to  come.     Amen." 

The   Versicles. 

These,  being  condensed  and  ejaculatory  in  the  form  of 
expression,  require  fervent  emphasis  in  their  delivery. 

*'  0  Lord,  open  ThoK,  our  lips." 
The  emphatic  word  is  "Thou,"  as  a  moment's  reflection 
would  show,  although  some  misreading  is  very  frequently 
heard. 

"Glory  be  to  tlie  Father,  and  to  the  Son,  and  to  the 
Holy  Ghost" 

The  full  voice  of  praise  is  expressive  here. 
"Praise  ye  the  Lord." 

Hortatory  and  commanding  effect  should  be  given  with 
full  force,  of  heraldic  manner. 

"The  Lord  be  tviih  you," 

Eevcrent  solemnity  would  be  the  natural  delivery  of  this 
versicle.  The  emphasis  strikes  the  words  "Lord"  and 
"with." 

In  the  bidding  for  prayer,  "Let  usprai/,"  the  empha- 
sis is  upon  the  act  in  which  we  are  to  be  engaged,  and  not 
upon  the  word  of  exhortation. 

In  the  supplication, 

"0  Lord,  show  thy  mercy  upon  us," 
the  emphasis  is  upon  "  mercy  "  ;  and  in 

"0  God,  make  clean  our  hearts  within  us," 
observe  that  both  the  "k"  and  hard  "c"  are  to  be  clearly 
enunciated. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

THE     PRAYERS. 


As  we  have  insisted  that  praise  in  Divine  Service  should 
have  the  voice  of  praise  in  its  utterance,  so  equally  emphatic 
must  be  the  simple  declaration  that  the  prayers  should  have 


156  READING   OF  THE  SERVICE. 

the  voice  of  prayer.  By  this  we  mean  tliat  as  there  is 
a  change  in  the  nature  of  the  feeling,  when  we  pass  from 
exhortation,  praise,  and  declaration  of  belief,  to  prayer,  so 
the  voice  should  indicate  the  nature  of  the  change.  It  is  the 
leading  effect  of  exhortation  that  it  be  explicit ;  of  praise, 
that  it  be  reverently  grateful ;  of  declaration,  that  it  be  em- 
phatically distinct ;  while  the  very  essence  of  expressive 
prayer  is  found  in  reverential  fervor.  In  exhortation,  we 
stand  in  the  presence  of  men  ;  in  praise,  we  offer  our  vinre- 
strained  gratitude  ;  in  the  declaration  of  the  faith,  we  utter 
our  deepest  convictions  ;  but  in  prayer  we  are  more  conscious 
of  our  own  insignificance  and  unworthiness,  of  our  urgent 
needs  as  suppliants,  and  of  the  purity  and  the  omnipotence  of 
our  God.  We  seem  to  be  more  immediately  in  His  i^resence, 
and  our  hearts  are  naturally  touched  with  a  deeper  reverence 
for  the  Almighty.  We  certainly  do  not  address  God  vo- 
cally in  prayer,  as  we  speak  to  our  fellows  in  exhortation. 

All  pious  study,  devout  meditation,  and  holy  commun- 
ion with  God,  which  assist  in  developing  the  profoundest 
depths  of  reverential  feeling,  are  a  natui-al  and  helpful  pre- 
paration for  expression  in  the  true  reading  of  the  Prayers. 
We  can  not  study  too  deeply  into  their  nature  and  their 
meaning.  Analytical  discussion  of  the  teachings  they  con- 
vey, in  such  works  as  Dean  Comber's  "  Companion  to 
the  Temple,"  Dean  Goulburn  on  the  Collects,  Nicholls' 
"  Paraphrase  of  the  Common  Prayer,"  and  similar  works, 
will  be  found  suggestive  for  the  reading  of  the  Prayers. 
Perhaps  the  habit  of  silent  reflection  upon  the  teaching  of 
the  language,  in  order  to  secure  freshness  and  vividness  in 
the  expression,  may  be  superior  to  anything  else.  In  fact, 
this  habit  of  silent  study  of  the  Service  throughout,  on 
every  occasion,  before  its  rendering,  will,  of  itself,  improve 
the  style  of  every  reader. 

Analysis  of  the  Structure  of  the  Prayers,  as  an  aid  to 
Expression. — The  three  liturgical  divisions  are  the  Protasis, 
the  Apodasis,  and  the  Conclusion. 


TEE  PRAYERS.  157 

For  study  in  exj^ression,  we  will  use  the  more  familiar 
terms  of  Invocation,  which  includes  the  doctrine  or  narra- 
tive ;  the  Petition,  embracing  the  confession  and  supplica- 
tion of  the  prayer  proper ;  and  the  Conclusion,  the  latter 
comprehending  the  mediation,  or  ascription. 

Beginning  with 

I.  The  Invocation,  we  find  this  to  be  in  several  forms, 
so  expressed  for  the  purpose  of  expressing  the  natural 
emotion  of  our  hearts,  in  beginning  the  petitions.  They 
should  be  examined,  not  after  the  manner  of  a  scientific 
study,  but  with  personal  reverence  and  gratitude,  and  a 
desire  truly  to  learn  and  utter  to  the  ear  the  varied  attri- 
butes of  our  Father  in  heaven. 

And,  first,  we  find  the  simpler  emotions  expressed,  as 
reverence,  awe,  gratitude,  majesty,  tenderness,  and  other 
kindred  qualities.  These  would  naturally  be  aroused  in 
prayers  opening  with  such  words  as  "Lord,"  ''Blessed 
Lord,"  "  Lord  God,"  "  Lord  most  holy,"  "  Merciful  Lord," 
" Most  gracious  Lord,"  "Lord  of  all  power  and  might," 
and  other  titles  expressing  the  rulershij)  of  God,  and  Ilis 
simpler  attributes.  The  mind  is  here  fixed  with  the  ut- 
most intensity  upon  the  personality  of  the  Divine  Kuler. 

Besides  these  there  is  at  times  an  even  deeper  feeling, 
often  shaded  by  other  emotions,  as  we  remember  the  mys- 
tery and  power  of  the  Divine  Essence,  named  in  the  word 
God,  and  deepening  into  reverential  and  majestic  awe. 
Such  profound  emotions  are  summoned  forth  and  realized 
by  the  Minister  as  he  pronounces  the  titles  :  "  0  God," 
"Lord  God,"  "0  Lord  God,"  "Almighty  God,"  and  ^'0 
Almighty  God."  The  voice  of  the  sincere  jDctitioner  should 
sink  in  humility  with  his  heart  as  he  utters  that  august 
Name  which  none  can  understand.  So  great,  indeed,  is 
the  natural  reverence  of  God's  ministers  that  many  mar 
the  utterance  of  the  Avord  through  an  excess  of  feeling. 
This  fault  should  be  avoided  for  the  sake  of  the  congrega- 
tion.    Full  and  clear,  low  and  submissive,  should  be  the 


158  READING   OF  TEE  SERVICE. 

sound  of  the  voice  when  we  address  Almighty  God  in  pub- 
lic Avorship. 

But  it  is  not  alone  His  might  which  has  been  revealed, 
but  a  might  tempered  with  most  cherishing  love.  And 
thus  the  heart  of  the  worshiper  is  softened  by  emotions  of 
filial  reverence,  which  are  colored  by  tenderness  and  grati- 
tude, and  rendered  sublime  by  majesty.  And  so  the  lan- 
guage and  voice  express  such  tender,  grateful,  and  majestic 
reverence  in  the  titles,  "  Father,"  "  Our  Father,"  "  Merciful 
Father,"  "  0  most  merciful  Father,"  "Our  Father  who  art 
in  Heaven,"  "0  most  gracious  Father,"  ''Almighty  and 
most  merciful  Father." 

There  are  also  compounds  of  these  titles  which  express 
the  intense  feeling  of  mingled  emotions.  The  depth  of 
some  passes  beyond  the  compass  of  perfect  expression,  yet, 
if  the  mind  be  intently  fixed  upon  the  thought,  the  feeling 
is  almost  sure  to  be  aroused  in  some  degree,  and  to  inspire 
suitable  expression  in  the  voice  of  the  Minister,  and  kindle 
responsive  emotions  in  the  hearts  of  the  hearers.  Such  are 
the  titles  :  "  0  Lord  and  Heavenly  Father,"  "  0  Father  of 
mercies,  and  God  of  all  comfort,"  "  Almighty  and  most 
merciful  God  and  Saviour,"  ''0  Almighty  God,  the  sover- 
eign commander  of  all  the  world,"  "  0  God,  Whose  mercy 
is  everlasting  and  power  infinite,"  and  others  of  a  similar 
class.  To  these  may  be  added  the  Invocations  of  the  Lit- 
any, and  many  others  which  will  readily  occur  to  the  stu- 
dent. 

It  should  be  noted  that  the  suggestive  changes  of  the 
voice  for  utterance  do  not  imply  all  the  power  of  expres- 
sion, given  in  every  particular.  We  find  even  in  the  chant- 
ing of  the  Creed,  while  there  is  perfect  harmony  in  the 
effect  of  the  monotone,  yet  that  the  accompaniment  of  the 
organ  prompts  to  natural  changes  in  everything  but  the 
key,  and  which  are  appropriate  and  naturally  expressive. 
In  like  manner  we  find  the  general  drift  of  the  harmony 
and  unity  of  the  Service,  with  such  variety  as  the  changes 


THE  PRAYERS.  159 

of  tliouglit  and  feeling  indicated  in  the  preceding  analysis 
instinctively  demand. 

A  fair  test  of  the  truthfulness  of  the  foregoing  analysis 
occurs  in  the  style  of  expression  in  a  discourse  where  the 
purpose  of  the  preacher  is  to  explain  and  impress  upon  his 
hearers  the  significance  of  the  same  Divine  titles.  How 
vivid  and  graphic  are  they  made  in  such  a  discussion  ! 
Should  they  be  less  impressively  uttered  when  we  use  the 
same  titles  upon  which  we  base  our  petitions  before  God  ? 
The  substitution  of  other  titles  less  reverent,  or  less  appro- 
priate, would  further  enforce  the  same  thought  by  contrast. 

Above  all  things,  the  introduction  to  our  prayers,  in 
reading — that  is,  the  Invocation — should  be  reverent ;  not 
with  undue  boldness,  as  in  the  tone  of  command,  nor  yet 
in  that  timidity  of  spirit  which  led  a  good  critic  to  say  to 
a  young  deacon  :  "You  read  the  Divine  titles  just  like  a 
boy  learning  to  swear." 

The  subdivision  of  the  Invocation,  described  by  some 
writers  as  the  doctrine,  or  narrative,  is  a  further  profitable 
study  for  correct  reading.  In  doctrine  it  expresses  more 
fullv  much  of  that  which  is  involved  in  the  Title.  The 
Narrative  is  a  natural  continuance  of  the  feeling  already 
expressed,  or  a  fuller  introduction  to  the  petition  follow- 
ing. These  clauses  are,  in  part,  confession  of  our  faith  in 
the  attributes  of  God,  or  of  our  faith  in  His  power  and 
mercy,  previously  manifested,  encouraging  us  to  prayer. 
Ordinarily  the  Narrative,  in  precomposed  prayer,  is  very 
brief,  for  there  can  be  but  little  of  the  spirit  of  reverential 
supplication  in  sustained  narration.  One  of  the  longest  is 
the  passage  in  the  Litany  quoted  from  the  Psalter:  "0 
God,  we  have  heard,"  etc.  Several  examples  from  the  Ser- 
vices are  subjoined, 

Morninrj  Prayer. — "  Who  art  the  author  of  peace  and 
lover  of  concord."  For  Peace. 

"  Who  hast  safely  brought  us  to  the  beginning  of  this 
day."  For  Grace. 


160  READING   OF  THE  SERVICE. 

*'The  high  and  mighty  Ruler  of  the  Universe,  Who 
dost  from  Thy  throne  behold  all  the  dwellers  upon  earth." 

For  the  President. 

"From  whom  cometh  every  good  and  perfect  gift," 

For  Clergy  and  People. 

Evening  Prayer. — ''From  Whom  all  holy  desires,  all 
good  counsels,  and  all  just  works  do  proceed." 

For  Peace. 

''By  Whose  almighty  power  we  have  been  preserved 
this  day."  For  Aid  agai?ist  Perils. 

Litatiy. — "Who  despisest  not  the  sighing  of  a  contrite 
heart,  nor  the  desire  of  such  as  are  sorrowful." 

"We  have  heard  with  our  ears,  and  our  fathers  have 
declared  unto  us,  the  noble  works  that  thou  didst  in  their 
days,  and  in  the  old  time  before  them." 

Special  Prayers. — "Whose  gift  it  is  that  the  rain  doth 
fall,  and  the  earth  bring  forth  her  increase." 

I7i  Time  of  Dearth. 

"Whose  power  no  creature  is  able  to  resist,  to  whom  it 
belongeth  justly  to  punish  sinners,  and  to  be  merciful  to 
those  who  truly  rejjent. "  /w  Time  of  War. 

Church  Year. — "  Who  hast  caused  all  Holy  Scripture  to 
be  written  for  our  learning."  Second  S.  Adv. 

"  Who  knowest  us  to  be  set  in  the  midst  of  so  many  and 
great  dangers,  that  by  reason  of  the  frailty  of  our  nature 
we  cannot  always  stand  upright." 

Fourtli  S.  after  Ejnph. 

"Who  hatest  nothing  that  Thou  hast  made,  and  dost 
forgive  the  sins  of  all  those  who  are  penitent." 

Ash  Wednesday. 

"  Who,  of  Thy  tender  love  toward  mankind,  hast  sent 
Thy  Son,  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  to  take  upon  him  our 
flesh,  and  to  suffer  death  upon  the  cross,  that  all  mankind 
should  follow  the  example  of  His  great  humility." 

S.  next  before  Faster. 

"  Who  through  thine  only  begotten  Son  Jesus  Christ 


THE  PRAYERS.  161 

hast  overcome  death,  and  opened  unto  us  the  gate  of  cyer- 
ksting  life."  Easter-Day. 

These  and  many  other  similar  passages  should  be  consid- 
ered as  an  aid  to  expression,  the  longest  forms  being  found 
in  the  Proper  Prefaces  in  the  Service  for  Holy  Communion. 
It  is  only  necessary  to  state  that  the  expression  of  the  voice 
should,  in  each  case,  correspond  with  subject-matter. 

II.  The  Petition. — The  utterance  naturally  changes  from 
the  solemnity  of  the  confession  of  our  faith,  as  we  call 
upon  God  by  His  titles,  or  as  we  continue  the  descriptive 
form  of  the  same  attributes,  to  the  voice  of  supplication. 
The  Petition  is,  indeed,  only  another  form  of  the  confes- 
sion of  our  faith,  but  it  is  absorbed  in  the  fervor  of  the 
supplication,  which  exjjresses  primarily  our  need.  As  be- 
fore we  have  confessed  something,  in  the  Petition  we  plead 
for  something.  In  j)leading,  the  voice  naturally  rises  in 
pitch.  The  ear  should  be  taught  to  make  this  natural 
transition  in  pitch  from  the  solemnity  of  confession  to  the 
urgency  of  supplication.  The  degree  of  the  change  of  voice 
will  depend,  in  every  case,  upon  the  slightly  varying  nat- 
ure of  the  feeling  found  in  the  Invocation  and  Petition. 
In  some  instances  the  change  is  very  slight ;  in  others  it 
must  be  very  marked,  or  lose  entirely  its  expressive  charac- 
ter. There  are  always  proprieties  to  be  consulted,  which 
the  common  sense  of  the  reader,  or  his  musical  ear,  must 
teach  him  to  respect.  It  is  always  safer  in  reading  to  err 
on  the  side  of  defect,  rather  than  excess,  in  expression,  as, 
in  this  case,  the  ear  of  the  listener  is  less  disturbed  ;  but  it 
is  better  still  to  aim  at  giving  just  character  to  the  thought 
and  expression.  While  avoiding,  therefore,  the  defect  which 
merges  the  voice  of  petition  in  that  of  invocation,  we  should 
be  equally  desirous  of  not  interrupting  the  continuous 
flow  of  feeling  which  has  been  once  awakened  by  invoking 
God  through  his  attributes. 

The  expression  of  the  Petition  throughout  must  depend, 
in  part,  upon  particulars  which  are  included,   and  their 


162  READ  mo   OF  THE  SERVICE. 

character.  Sometimes  these  particulars,  being  closely  and 
naturally  related,  may  properly  be  read  with  slight  varia- 
tion in  the  expression,  while  in  others  they  are  distinct  and 
independent,  and  consequently  demand  a  marked  change 
in  the  utterance — e.  g.,  the  closing  paragraph  of  the  Prayer 
for  all  Conditions  of  Men  calls  naturally  for  a  sympathetic 
expression,  which  the  preceding  passages  do  not  require  : 
"Finally  we  commend  to  thy  fatherly  goodness  all  those 
who  are  anyways  aiSicted,  or  distressed,  in  mind,  body, 
or  estate ;  that  it  may  please  thee  to  comfort  and  re- 
lieve them,  according  to  their  several  necessities  ;  giving 
them  patience  under  their  sufferings,  and  a  happy  issue  out 
of  all  their  afflictions."  In  the  Prayer  for  the  Church 
Alilitant,  after  the  Supplication,  including  ourselves,  the 
Church,  Christian  rulers,  Bishoi)s,  and  other  Ministers,  all 
people,  and  especially  for  the  congregation  present,  our 
hearts  must  be  tenderly  touched  in  sympathy  with  the  suf- 
fering and  the  wicked.  "And  we  most  humbly  beseech 
thee,  of  thy  goodness,  0  Lord,  to  comfort  and  succor  all 
those  who,  in  this  transitory  life,  are  in  trouble,  need,  sor- 
row, sickness,  or  any  other  adversity."  So,  again,  is  there 
a  change  in  the  same  prayer  in  the  clause  following,  in  the 
devout  commemoration  of  the  departed  :  "  And  we  also 
bless  thy  holy  Name  for  all  thy  servants  departed  this  life 
in  thy  faith  and  fear ;  beseeching  thee  to  give  us  grace  so 
to  follow  their  good  examples,  that  with  them  we  may  be 
partakers  of  thy  heavenly  kingdom."  A  similar  change 
occurs  in  the  Prayer  for  the  Sick,  where,  after  the  fullest 
expression  of  sympathy  and  tenderness,  in  the  Supplication, 
we  pass  to  the  solemnity  of  most  reverent  submission  : 
"  Or  else  give  him  grace  so  to  take  thy  visitation,  that, 
after  this  painful  life  ended,  he  may  dwell  with  thee  in 
life  everlasting."  Several  other  instances  might  be  ad- 
duced,  but  these  are  sufficient  for  illustration,  and  are, 
moreover,  strongly  marked.  If  any  reader  doubts  the  natu- 
ralness of  these  suggested  changes,  let  him  observe  the  dif- 


THE  PRAYERS.  163 

ference  in  the  expression  of  a  reader  who  is  immediately 
and  personally  concerned  with  these  petitions  of  sympathy, 
and  contrast  the  expression  with  that  utterance  vised  when 
there  is  no  such  tenderness  of  interest.  He  will  see  the 
depth  and  reality  of  feeling  in  the  one  case,  and,  too  often, 
a  cold  and  mechanical  expression  in  the  other,  which  reveals 
only  too  plainly  the  fact  that  the  heart  is  not  moved  to 
offer  the  words  of  its  own  petition.  May  it  not  be  that  in- 
frequency  of  request  for  the  special  prayers  arises  too  often 
from  a  perfunctory  manner  of  reading  them  ? 

What  is  true  of  the  above  strongly  contrasted  passages, 
in  regard  to  changes  of  voice,  applies  in  moderated  degree  to 
variations  which  are  less  marked.  If  we  are  in  living  sym- 
pathy with  the  subject  of  each  supplication,  it  will  instinct- 
ively lead  to  those  shadings  of  expression  which  the  language 
demands.  If  the  reader,  in  a  silent  analysis  of  the  subject- 
matter  of  the  prayers,  will  but  trace  the  changes  in  thought 
and  feeling,  which  are  suggested  by  the  phraseology,  he 
will  find  it  sufficiently  suggestive  of  variety  in  the  reading. 

The  Conclusion. — In  this  we  bind  our  prayers  with  the 
might  of  the  Mediatorial  Name.  There  is  a  rhythmical 
emphasis  with  which  the  form  of  the  close  of  the  prayer  is 
ended.  "We  come  boldly  to  the  Throne  of  Grace,  in  rev- 
erent and  confident  claim  of  the  fulfillment  of  the  Saviour's 
promise  !  "Whatsoever  ye  ask  the  Father  in  My  Name,  He 
will  give  it  you."  The  Mediation  of  the  conchision  should 
not  be  carelessly  or  hurriedly  uttered.  It  should  not  be 
weakened  in  emphasis  nor  quickened  m  its  movement.  It 
is  a  deliberate  and  emphatic  claim  that  the  entire  prayer  be 
heard  through,  or  for  the  sake  of  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord. 
The  utterance  of  the  Saviour's  Name  should  be  distinct  and 
reverent.  It  is  related  of  one  of  the  English  wortliies  that 
he  made  the  Name  in  prayer  "as  honey  to  the  ear."  The 
author  was  told,  a  few  years  since,  by  a  brother  clergyman, 
wlio  was  out  of  sympathy  with  the  theology  of  an  aged 
bishop,  now  departed,  that  he  could  never  withstand  the 


164  READING    OF  THE  SERVICE. 

attractive  sweetness  and  impressive  power  which  he  gave  to 
every  ntterance  of  the  Name  of  the  Redeemer.  Indistinct 
articuhition  and  careless  utterance  of  the  Name,  with  per- 
functory reverence,  can  not  achieve  such  results  as  these 
referred  to. 

"Christ's  Name  hath  made  it  strong." 

The  alternative  form  for  the  conclusion  is  the  Ascrip- 
tion, or  Doxology,  which,  being  the  utterance  of  grateful 
praise,  requires  greater  fullness  of  voice  than  in  other  clos- 
ing forms.  It  is  important,  in  all  the  prayers,  that  the 
voice  should  be  kept  full  and  strong  to  the  end  ;  and  a  full 
inhalation  at  the  close  of  the  petition,  for  this  purpose, 
prevents  the  effect  of  weariness  and  fatigue  to  both  reader 
and  hearer.  Every  prayer  should  close  with  energy  un- 
S23ent  and  emotion  unflagging.  This  is  peculiarly  the  case 
with  the  Doxology,  for  a  feeble  utterance  there  implies  a 
weakened  degree  of  feeling  not  consonant  with  the  offering 
of  praise.  These  and  similar  forms  are  useful  for  study  : 
''To  Whom,  with  Thee  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  be  all  honor 
and  glory,  world  without  end."  "By  Whom  and  with 
Whom,  in  the  unity  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  all  honor  and  glory 
be  unto  Thee,  0  Father  Almighty,  world  without  end." 
"  Where  with  Thee,  0  Father,  and  Thee,  0  Holy  Ghost, 
He  liveth  and  reigneth  ever  one  God,  world  without  end." 

The  following  discussion  of  the  petitions  in  the  Order  of 
Morning  Prayer  may  be  of  service  : 

*'  A  Colled  for  Peace. 

"  0  God,  who  art  the  author  of  peace  and  lover  of 
concord,  in  knowledge  of  whom  standeth  our  eternal  life, 
whose  service  is  perfect  freedom  ;  Defend  us  thy  humble 
servants  in  all  assaults  of  our  enemies  ;  that  we,  surely  trust- 
ing in  thy  defence,  may  not  fear  the  power  of  any  adversa- 
ries, through  the  might  of  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.    Amen.'' 

The  tranquillity  of  peace  and  the  harmony  of  concord 
will  characterize  the  utterance  of  the  opening  clauses.     It 


THE  PRAYERS.  165 

should  be  observed  that  the  expression  "  in  knowledge  of 

whom"  does  not  mean  "in  whose  knowledge"  our  eternal 

life  stands,  but  *'in  knowing  whom."     "  Whose  service  is 

perfect  freedom"  should  have  a  spirit  in  the  expression 

somewhat  correspondent  with  its  theme,  and  differing  from 

the  tranquillizing  and  solemnizing  character  of  the  clauses 

preceding.    ''Surely  trusting"  and  "might"  are  emphatic 

thoughts,  and  call  for  the  same  effect  in  delivery.    A  feeble 

utterance  might  imply  that  the  faith  was  weak,  and  the 

contest  uncertain.     Avoid   the  careless  pronunciation  of 

'"'  congcord." 

"A  Collect  for  Grace. 

"■  0  Lord,  our  heavenly  Father,  Almighty  and  everlast- 
ing God,  who  hast  safely  brought  us  to  the  beginning  of 
this  day  ;  Defend  us  in  the  same  with  thy  mighty  power  ; 
and  grant  that  this  day  we  fall  into  no  sin,  neither  run  into 
any  kind  of  danger  ;  but  that  all  our  doings,  being  ordered 
by  thy  governance,  may  be  righteous  in  thy  sight ;  through 
Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.     Amen.'' 

"Defend"  is  the  emphatic  word,  rather  than  "in"; 
and  "thy  mighty  power"  should  be  read  with  fullness  of 
voice,  the  invariable  descriptive  effect  of  utterance  when 
expressing  the  thoughts  of  power,  might,  majesty,  etc. 
The  words  "  thy  governance  "  are  both  emphatic. 

"A  Prayer  for  the  President  of  the  United  States,  and 
all  171  Civil  Authority. 

"  0  Lord,  our  heaA^enly  Father,  the  high  and  mighty 
Euler  of  the  Universe,  who  dost  from  thy  throne  behold  all 
the  dwellers  upon  earth  ;  Most  heartily  we  beseech  thee 
with  thy  favour  to  behold  and  bless  thy  servant  The  Presi- 
dent OF  THE  United  States,  and  all  others  in  authority ; 
and  so  replenish  them  with  the  grace  of  thy  Holy  Spirit, 
that  they  may  always  incline  to  tliy  will,  and  walk  in  thy 
way.  Endue  them  plenteously  with  heavenly  gifts  ;  grant 
them  in  health  and  prosperity  long  to  live ;  and  iinally, 


166  READING    01    THE  SERVICE. 

after  this  life,  to  attain  everlasting  joy  and  felicity  ;  through 
Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.     Amen.'" 

The  majesty  and  loftiness  of  the  expression  should  have 
some  accompanying  utterance  which  shows  the  reality  of 
the  faith  that  calls  upon  the  omnipotent  Euler.  The  log- 
ical connections  would  require  a  pause  after  "bless,"  rather 
than  after  "behold,"  a  common  fault,  for  we  beseech  the 
Lord  to  behold  and  bless  all  others  in  authority,  as  well  as 
the  President  of  the  United  States. 

^'A  Prayer  for  the  Clergy  and  People. 

"Almighty  and  everlasting  God,  from  whom  cometh 
every  good  and  perfect  gift ;  Send  down  upon  our  Bishops, 
and  other  Clergy,  and  upon  the  Congregations  committed 
to  their  charge,  the  healthful  Spirit  of  thy  grace  ;  and,  that 
they  may  truly  please  thee,  pour  upon  them  the  continual 
dew  of  thy  blessing.  Grant  this,  0  Lord,  for  the  honour 
of  our  Advocate  and  Mediator,  Jesus  Christ.     AmcnT 

In  this  prayer,  the  Bishops  and  other  Clergy,  and  their 
Congregations,  should  all  be  distinctly  noted  in  the  empha- 
sis, and  the  beauty  of  the  rhetorical  expression  should  char- 
acterize the  voice  at  such  passages  as  "healthful  spirit  of 
thy  grace,"  and  "continual  dew  of  thy  blessing." 

"^  Prayer  for  all  Cofiditions  of  Men. 

"  0  God,  the  Creator  and  Preserver  of  all  mankind,  we 
humbly  beseech  thee  for  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  men  ; 
that  thou  wouldest  be  pleased  to  make  thy  ways  known 
unto  them,  thy  saving  health  unto  all  nations.  More  espe- 
cially we  pray  for  thy  holy  Church  universal ;  that  it  may 
be  so  guided  and  governed  by  thy  good  Spirit,  that  all  who 
profess  and  call  themselves  Christians  may  be  led  into  the 
way  of  truth,  and  hold  the  faith  in  unity  of  spirit,  in  the 
bond  of  peace,  and  in  righteousness  of  life.  Finally,  we 
commend  to  thy  fatherly  goodness  all  those  who  are  any 
ways  afflicted,  or  distressed,  in  mind,  body,  or  estate  ;  that 


THE  PRAYERS.  167 

it  may  please  thee  to  comfort  and  relieve  them,  accord- 
ing to  their  several  necessities ;  giving  them  patience 
under  their  sufferings,  and  a  happy  issue  out  of  all  their 
aiilictions.  And  this  we  beg  for  Jesus  Christ's  sake. 
Amen.'' 

A  misapplication  of  emphasis  is  sometimes  heard  in  the 
expression  "hold  the  faith"  by  emphasizing  the  article. 
''The  faith''''  covers  the  ground  in  emphasis.  The  sympa- 
thy in  the  expression  of  the  closing  sentence  has  been 
already  remarked  upon  elsewhere.  The  fervor  of  the  ex- 
pression should  not  be  allowed  to  diminish,  but  urgent  sup- 
plication should  mark  the  character  of  the  expression  on 
such  clauses  as  "thy  ways  known,"  ''thy  saving  health 
unto  all  nations,"  "Christians,"  "  way  of  truth,"  "unity 
of  spirit,"  "bond  of  peace,"  "righteousness  of  life." 

"^  General  Thanhsgiving. 

"Almighty  God,  Father  of  all  mercies,  we,  thine  un- 
worthy servants,  do  give  thee  most  humble  and  hearty 
thanks  for  all  thy  goodness  and  loving  kindness  to  us,  and 
to  all  men.  We  bless  thee  for  our  creation,  preservation, 
and  all  the  blessings  of  this  life  ;  but  above  all,  for  thine 
inestimable  love  in  the  redemption  of  the  world  by  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  for  the  means  of  grace,  and  for  the 
hope  of  glory.  And,  we  beseech  thee,  give  us  that  due 
sense  of  all  thy  mercies,  that  our  hearts  may  be  unfeignedly 
thankful,  and  that  we  may  show  forth  thy  praise,  not  only 
wi  th  our  lips,  but  in  our  lives  ;  by  giving  up  ourselves  to 
thy  service,  and  by  walking  before  thee  in  holiness  and 
righteousness  all  our  days  ;  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord, 
to  whom,  with  thee  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  be  all  honour  and 
glory,  world  without  end.     Amen." 

As  already  suggested,  the  voice  of  genuine,  heartfelt 

gratitude  should  be  heard  in  this  portion  of  the  Service, 

which  culminates  with  a  fullness  of  expression  upon  the 

clauses,  "for  thine  inestimable  love  in  the  redemption  of 

8 


108  READING    OF  THE  SERVICE. 

the  world  by  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  for  the  meaus  of  grace, 
aud  for  the  hope  of  glory." 

The  personality  of  the  supplication  following  requires 
more  subdued  effect,  with  gravity  and  deliberation  in  the 
reading,  and  fullness  of  expression  on  the  Doxology. 

"A  Prayer  of  St.  Chrysostom. 

*' Almighty  God,  who  hast  given  us  grace  at  this  time 
with  one  accord  to  make  our  common  supplications  unto 
thee  ;  and  dost  promise  that  when  two  or  three  are  gathered 
together  in  thy  Name  thou  wilt  grant  their  requests  ;  Fulfil 
now,  0  Lord,  the  desires  and  j)etitions  of  thy  servants,  as 
may  be  most  expedient  for  them  ;  gi-anting  us  in  this  world 
knowledge  of  thy  truth,  and  in  the  world  to  come  life  ever- 
lasting.    Allien.'^ 

As  this  is  a  general  summary  of  all  the  foregoing  peti- 
tions, it  should  be  uttered  with  a  fervor  which  is  intensified, 
rather  than  weakened,  by  the  prospect  of  a  conclusion  of 
the  duty.  Care  should  be  taken  to  place  the  marked  pause 
where  it  belongs,  after  ''time,"  giving  only  a  secondary 
pause  after  "accord,"  which  expression  should  receive  full 
emphasis,  as  indicative  of  the  harmony  of  the  hearts  offer- 
ing the  Service.  Strong  emphasis  should  mark  the  claim 
for  the  fulfillment  of  the  Divine  jiromise,  "  wheresoever  two 
or  three  are  gathered  together,"  etc.  Full  emphasis  should 
be  given  upon  "this  world,"  "knowledge,"  "truth,"  with 
a  pause  after  "the  world  to  come,"  and  fervent  expression 
upon  "life  everlasting." 

The  expressive  reading  of  the  minor  Benediction  has 
been  previously  discussed. 

The  remarks  upon  the  General  Confession  will  apply 
also  to  the  Lordfs  Prayer,  which,  being  said  by  both  Min- 
ister and  people,  does  not  require  the  same  study  as  in  indi- 
vidual expression.  The  same  shades  of  meaning  are  there, 
in  all  their  suggestive  variety,  but  the  finer  uses  of  the 
voice  would  be  lost  in  the  general  utterance  by  the  congre- 


TEE  PRAYERS.  169 

gation.  It  is  sufficient  if  the  even  flow  and  somewhat 
measured  rliythmical  iitterance  of  the  leader  can  be  easily 
and  naturally  followed  by  the  congregation.  Very  marked 
changes  and  fitfulness  in  the  time  and  frequency  of  the 
pausing  are  at  variance  with  the  desired  effect. 

The  Collects,  being  simply  condensed  forms  of  prayer, 
rest  upon  the  same  principles  of  expression  as  in  the  longer 
and  fuller  forms  of  petition.  In  some  instances  a  single 
feeling  remains  unchanged  throughout,  as  in  the  reverent 
yearning  of  the  Collect  for  the  Sixth  Sunday  after  Trinity: 

*'  0  God,  who  hast  prepared  for  those  who  love  thee" 
such  good  things  as  pass  man's  understanding  ;  Pour  into 
our  hearts  such  love  toward  thee,  that  we,  loving  thee 
above  all  things,  may  obtain  thy  promises,  which  exceed 
all  that  we  can  desire  ;  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord." 

Others,  again,  contain  changes  from  the  above,  as  in  the 
Collect  for  the  Seventh  Sunday  after  Trinity,  and  require 
greater  varieties  in  the  expression  : 

"  Lord  of  all  power  and  might,  who  art  the  author  and 
giver  of  all  things  ;  Graft  in  our  hearts  the  love  of  thy 
Name,  increase  in  us  true  religion,  nourish  us  with  all  good- 
ness, and  of  thy  great  mercy  keep  us  in  the  same  ;  through 
Jesus  Christ  our  Lord." 

Inasmuch  as  the  language  is  so  brief  and  condensed  in 
the  Collects,  a  corresponding  terseness  in  the  emphasis  is 
appropriate,  and  is,  indeed,  necessary  to  interpret  fully  the 
meaning. 

The  Thanhsgivings. — These  differ  from  the  Prayers,  in 
analysis  for  appropriate  expression,  only  in  this  resi)ect, 
that  the  voice  of  gratitude  is  heard  in  place  of  supplication. 
The  difference  between  prayer  and  praise  should  be  marked 
as  distinctly  to  the  ear  as  the  two  acts  of  worship  did'er 
emotionally.  As,  "out  of  the  abundance  of  the  heart  the 
moutli  speaketh,"  there  is  more  of  impulsive  utterance  in 
gratitude  than  in  supplication.  Impulsive  feeling  takes  an 
expulsive  expression.     The  prayer  within  a  form  of  praise. 


170  READING   OF  TEE  SERVICE. 

as  in  the  General  Thanksgiving,  certainly  differs  in  tone 
and  character  from  the  opening  portion,  and,  as  the  voice  is 
to  interj^ret  the  feeling,  full-voiced  praise  should  be  heard 
in  the  opening  in  contrast  with  the  more  subdued  effect  of 
the  prayer  with  which  it  closes. 

The  Benedictory  Prayer,  with  which  so  many  Services 
of  the  Church  are  closed,  is  most  appropriately  fixed  where 
it  stands,  possessing  a  character  which  differs  from  that  of 
the  prayers  preceding,  because  of  its  benedictory  character. 
If  its  full  significance  is  taken  into  view,  and  the  grace, 
love,  and  peace  which  it  suggests  are  to  find  interpretative 
expression,  then  deliberate  movement  of  the  voice,  expres- 
sive emphasis,  and  impressive  pauses,  should  be  the  charac- 
teristic utterance.  Every  one  has  felt  the  benedictory  force 
of  the  passage  where  it  was  feelingly  read,  and  has  also 
felt  the  want  of  such  reverent  and  chastening  effect  where 
the  utterance  of  the  language  was  made  almost  unmeaning 
by  defective  reading.  The  words  which  are  used  apj^ropri- 
ately  in  describing  the  act  or  manner  of  the  reader  would 
be  serviceable  for  study  here. 

It  might  be  thought  by  some  that  vocal  practice  upon 
the  Prayer-Book  is  irreverent,  and  likely  to  encourage  irrev- 
erence, and  produce  a  mechanical  result,  as  the  mind  is 
directed  to  the  manner  rather  than  to  the  offering  of  the 
Prayers. 

It  may  be  replied  to  this  objection  that  a  great  benefit 
comes  simply  from  the  mental  study  of  the  Service.  A 
deepened  sense  of  its  meaning  is  gained,  and  there  can  be 
nothing  irreverent  in  teaching  the  peojile  the  meaning  of 
their  forms  of  worship.  It  is,  on  the  contrary,  a  duty.  And 
this  practice  is  found  to  be  only  another  means  of  reaching 
the  mind  through  the  ear.  The  object  of  practice  is  to 
promote  the  truth  by  preventing  false  interpretations  and 
false  impressions,  to  aid  in  keeping  the  mind  fixed  upon 
the  meaning,  in  order  that  feeling  may  be  reached  and 
properly  conveyed.     There  need  be  nothing  irreverent,  un- 


THE  PRAYERS.  171 

less  it  be  the  purpose  of  the  reader  to  make  it  so.     But,  if 

the  form,  and  not  the  spirit,  is  the  result  of  practice,  if  it 

chills  deyotion  and  helps  to  wandering  thoughts,  by  all 

means  let  it  be  cast  aside.     Untutored  voices  and  inapt 

reading,  however,  sacrifice  legitimate  and  reverent  effects, 

which  thoughtful  and   judicious  study  and  practice  may 

secure. 

There  is  nothing  more  irreverent  in  the  analytical  study 

and  tentative  practice  than  there  would  be  in  the  previous 

study  of  the  musician,  adapting  music  to  the  expression  of 

the  language ;  or  in  the  rehearsal  of  any  of  the  musical 

portions  of  the  Service  for  its  proper  and  most  expressive 

rendering. 

The  Litaxy. 

This  remarkable  liturgical  composition,  in  the  dignity 
of  its  sublimity,  the  depth  of  its  solemnity,  the  tenderness 
of  its  pathos,  the  anguish  of  its  contrition,  the  intense  fer- 
vor of  its  reverence,  is  the  most  difficult  of  all  the  passages 
of  the  Service  to  render  expressively,  characteristically,  and 
reverently.  Eead  without  emotion,  it  is  the  most  tedious 
of  all  portions  of  the  Service.  Read  with  manifestly  as- 
sumed expression,  the  artificiality  is  more  painful  and  shock- 
ing than  in  any  other  part  of  our  worship.  But,  read  with 
propriety,  it  is  the  most  heart-searching  and  comforting  of 
all  the  prayers  we  offer.  If  the  congregation  are  led  properly 
and  expressively  through  the  Litany,  they  realize  deeply 
the  meaning  and  application  of  its  fervent  petitions,  and 
these  vivid  and  graphic  descriptions  of  their  own  spiritual 
condition  and  their  needs. 

The  liturgical  divisions,  as  they  have  been  classified  by 
the  standard  writers,  are  of  themselves  suggestive  of  natu- 
ral changes  in  expression.  These  are,  first,  the  Invoca- 
tions, extending  from  the  opening  to  "■  Eemember  not," 
etc.  ;  secondly,  the  Deprecations,  to  "  By  the  mystery,"  etc.  ; 
thirdly,  the  Obsecrations,  from  here  to  "  We  sinners  do  be- 
seech Thee,"  etc.  ;  fourthly,  tlie  Intercessions,  from  *'"\Vc 


1Y2  READING   OF  THE  SERVICE. 

sinners,"  etc.,  to  "  That  it  may  please  Thee  to  give  and  pre- 
serve to  our  use,"  etc.  ;  fifthly,  the  Supplications,  from  this 
point  to  the  close. 

1.  Tlie  Invocations. 

In  view  of  the  differing  authorities,  equally  eminent, 
and,  therefore,  to  be  equally  respected,  the  author  feels 
moved  to  quote  from  Goddard's  "  Eeading  of  the  Liturgy  "  : 
*'  Upon  the  question  of  the  proper  manner  of  reading  the 
ojjening  appeal  to  the  three  Persons  of  the  Blessed  Trinity, 
it  might  be  presumptuous,  after  the  discussions  that  have 
been  raised,  to  pronounce  a  decisive  opinion.  But  finding 
myself  well  supported  by  the  judgment  of  authorities  well 
qualified  to  determine  sucli  questions,  I  have  no  hesitation 
in  advising  that  there  be  no  pause  between  the  words  '  the 
Father  of  Heaven,'  and  that  they  should  be  read  as  if  it 
were,  '  0  God  Heavenly  Father.'  This  indeed  is  the  mean- 
ing. It  is  not  the  being  '  of  Heaven '  that  constitutes  the 
differential  property  by  which  eacli  of  the  Persons  in  the 
Blessed  Trinity  is  appealed  to,  but  the  property  of  being 
respectively  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost ;  and 
therefore  the  subordination  of  the  other,  the  being  '  of 
Heaven,'  which  is  not  peculiar  to  the  Father,  should  be 
maintained  by  making  no  comma,  and  reading  it  as  above 
directed,  '0  God,  the  Father  of  Heaven.'" 

If  the  purpose  were  to  single  out,  so  to  speak,  the  per- 
sonality of  each  Person  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  would  not 
the  received  pointing  require  the  addition  of  a  comma  after 
"  Father  "  ?  But  no  standard  book  gives  this  punctuation. 
It  is,  therefore,  by  the  descriptive  titles,  or  the  offices  of 
each  of  the  Sacred  Persons,  that  they  are  individually  in- 
voked. Hence,  the  prominence  given  to  "  Father  of  Hea- 
ven," ^'Eedeemer  of  the  World,"  and  "proceeding  from 
the  Father  and  the  Son."  In  the  musical  rendering  of  this 
portion  of  the  Service,  the  rhythm  of  the  movement  natu- 
rally requires  no  pause  after  "the  Father." 

The  question  arises  as  to  the  proper  emphasis  in  the 


THE  PRAYFES.  I73 

clause,  "Have  mercy  upon  us  miserable  sinners."  The 
primary  prayer  is,  unquestionably,  for  mercy,  which  would 
seem  to  throw  the  emphasis  necessarily  on  the  words  "  mer- 
cy "and  "upon."  But  if  we  consider  the  fact  that  we, 
while  calling  for  mercy,  confess  ourselves  to  be  "miserable 
sinners,"  then  the  emphasis  would  fall  upon  "mercy"  and 
"  us,"  while  omitting  the  adjective  would  throw  the  em- 
phasis on  "  us,"  as  descriptive  of  our  state.  "  Have  mercy 
upon  us  sintiers."  H  in  this  form  we  omit  the  emphasis 
on  "  us,"  it  throws  the  word  "sinners,"  grammatically, 
into  the  vocative  case,  which  would,  of  course,  be  absurd. 
And,  further,  if  we  test  the  structure  by  transposition, 
which  would  leave  the  meaning  unchanged,  we  should  be 
again  compelled  to  render  the  word  "  us"  emphatic  ;  thus  : 
"upon  us,  sinners,"  or  "us,  miserable  sinners,  have  mer- 
cy." There  can  be  no  difference  of  opinion  here,  and  the 
meaning  is  not  essentially  changed  in  this  particular  of  the 
descrii3tion  of  our  condition  in  the  confession  of  it  simply 
by  transposing  the  phrases. 

The  foregoing  are  simply  intellectual  considerations,  as 
the  language  is  marked  by  the  profoundest  reverential  awe. 
The  voice  must  be  low,  slow,  and  emphatic,  with  full 
pauses. 

2.   Tlie  Deprecations. 

No  emphasis  should  be  thrown  upon  "our"  in  "our 
sins,"  for  this  would  imply  that  the  Divine  vengeance  had 
been  visited  upon  the  sins  of  our  forefathers.  The  sensi- 
tive and  reverent  heart  can  not  truthfully  utter  the  words, 
"  Thy  most  precious  blood,"  without  some  degree  of  the 
tenderness  and  sympathy  which  the  language  awakens. 

The  clauses  within  the  paragraphs  or  verses  of  the  Depre- 
cations are  pointed  with  a  semicolon,  except  the  last  clause, 
in  each  case,  wliich  is  followed  immediately  by  tlio  rospoiise 
of  the  people,  and  is  marked  with  a  comma.  This  has  led 
to  the  theory  that  the  voice  should  not  fall  at  the  end  of 
each  suffrage,  which  some  readers  have  distorted  into  a  ris- 


174  EEADIXG   OF  THE  SERVICE. 

ing  inflection.  The  natural  law  of  feeling  in  expression 
dominates  the  law  of  merely  intellectual  utterance.  Earnest 
supplication  takes  naturally  the  falling  inflection  in  enume- 
ration. Hence  the  clauses  take  the  falling  slide,  with  the 
exception  of  the  last,  which  has  the  suspended  slide,  suffi- 
ciently to  connect  the  words  of  supplication,  in  the  response, 
with  the  enumeration  of  the  particulars  of  the  preceding 
clauses.  This  suspended  or  sustained  use  of  the  voice  is, 
however,  different  from  the  defined  rising  slide,  which 
would  seem  to  make  the  mind  more  intent  upon  the  gram- 
matical structure  of  the  language  than  upon  the  earnest- 
ness of  the  feeling  which  it  describes.  In  the  third  of  the 
Deprecations  the  emphasis  falls  u2)on  the  word  '*'  unchari- 
tableness."  In  the  fourth,  attention  is  called  to  the  increas- 
ing use  of  the  full  sound  of  the  last  syllable  of  ''devi7." 
There  is  as  yet,  however,  no  standard  authority  recogniz- 
ing its  use.  It  came  into  vogue,  undoubtedly,  from  the 
singing  of  the  syllable,  which,  with  the  final  vowel  elided, 
would  make  the  singing  of  the  word  almost  impossible. 
In  this  division  the  word  "  deceits  "  requires  special  empha- 
sis, together  with  "the  world,  the  flesh,  and  the  devil." 

In  the  next,  care  should  be  taken  to  avoid  sinkinsr  or 
hurrying  the  voice  on  the  words  "  sudden  death."  In  the 
sixth  Deprecation  every  important  word  receives  marked 
and  distinctive  emphasis. 

Finally,  the  passages  in  this  division  should  be  deliv- 
ered as  genuine  Deprecations,  with  a  keen  sense  of  being 
alive  to  the  fatal  dangers  and  the  dreaded  evils  from  which 
we  pray  to  be  delivered.  The  careless  and  perfunctory 
reading  seems  to  imply  not  only  indifference  to  the  result, 
but  also  imj)erfect  apprehension  of  the  evils  which  are 
named,  and  from  which  we  should  urgently  pray  to  be  de- 
livered. 

3.   The  Obsecrations. 

The  objection  brought  against  these  forms,  on  the  score 
of  their  sounding  like  incantations,  seems  groundless.  These 


THE  PEAYERS.  175 

events  in  tlie  life  of  our  blessed  Lord  are  certainly  a  part  of 
His  mediatorial  work,  and  the  enumeration  of  them  can  be 
no  unmeaning  form  ;  nor  the  prayers,  to  be  heard  because  of 
their  efficacy,  superstitious  incantation.  Simplicity  and 
godly  sincerity  must  be  the  law  which  guides  to  reverent 
expression,  where  these  incidents  of  the  Saviour's  life,  and 
the  awful  mystery  of  His  passion  and  death,  mingled  with 
thoughts  of  our  own  last  hour,  and  the  solemn  reckoning 
in  the  Day  of  Judgment,  are  made  the  heart-burdened  pleas 
by  which  we  cry,  "  Deliver  us  !  "  While  avoiding  excessive 
emphasis  upon  "by,"  the  long  and  not  the  short  sound  of 
the  letter  should  be  given.  The  solemnity  of  the  feeling 
deepens  as  the  historical  recital  of  the  awful  mysteries  pro- 
ceeds, culminating  in  the  Death  and  Burial,  succeeded  by 
the  expression  of  the  triumph  of  the  Kesurrection  and  As- 
cension. The  deep  solemnity  and  the  directness  of  the  per- 
sonal thought  of  our  own  death  and  judgment  should  chas- 
ten and  subdue  the  utterance. 

4.  The  Intercessions. 

The  heart  naturally  lifts  itself  up  in  greater  freedom 
after  the  oppressive  thought  of  death  and  the  judgment 
contained  in  the  preceding  passage.  It  would  be  natural 
to  raise  the  voice  correspondingly  to  a  higher  key,  and  to 
quicken  the  movement.  Mark  especially,  with  discriminat- 
ing emphasis,  the  different  degrees  of  earnestness  which 
the  petitions  relatively  demand.  Mark  also  the  sympathetic 
tenderness  of  the  three  paragraphs  immediately  preceding 
tlie  last  of  this  division.  Contrast  this  with  the  more  gen- 
eral intercession  for  ''magistrates,"  etc.,  etc.  It  should 
be  noted  that  the  punctuation  changes  in  this  division,  and 
the  order  is  reversed  from  the  last,  the  separate  clauses  ]jo- 
ing  chiefly  pointed  with  commas,  and  the  entire  suffrage 
with  a  semicolon.  Irrespective  of  the  points  of  puuctua- 
tion,  the  same  law,  relating  to  earnestness  of  supplication, 
obtains  as  above.     As  the  connection  is  not  so  immediate 


176  READING   OF  TEE  SERVICE. 

with  the  response  as  before,  a  falling  slide  is  heard  more  fre- 
quently than  the  suspended.  The  more  condensed  the  ex- 
pression, the  more  frequent  is  the  use  of  the  falling  inflec- 
tion, and  the  use  of  the  semicolon — e.g.,  ''That  it  may 
please  Thee  to  strengthen  such  as  do  stand  ;  and  to  comfort 
and  help  the  weak-hearted;  and  to  raise  up  those  who  fall; 
and  finally  to  beat  down  Satan  under  our  feet. "  Contrast 
this  with  the  more  narrative  form  of  "  That  it  may  please 
Thee  to  give  to  all  Thy  people  increase  of  grace  to  hear 
meekly  Thy  Word,  and  to  receive  it  with  ]Dure  affection, 
and  to  bring  forth  the  fruits  of  the  Sjiirit."  Observe  the 
sympathy  in  the  suffrages,  "That  it  may  please  Thee  to 
succor,  help,  and  comfort  all  who  are  in  danger,  necessity, 
and  tribulation  "  ,  "all  sick  persons  and  young  children,  and 
to  show  Thy  pity  upon  all  prisoners  and  captives"  ;  "  for 
fatherless  cliildren,  and  widows,  and  all  who  are  desolate 
and  oppressed."  '^Kindly  fruits  of  the  earth"  means,  of 
course,  fruits  of  the  earth  after  their  kind.  It,  therefore, 
does  not  require  the  gentle  expression  upon  "kindly." 

5.   The  Supplications. 

Care  must  be  exercised  to  avoid  any  diminishing  of  the 
fervor.  This  caution  is  a  very  necessary  one,  when  we  con- 
sider the  tendency  to  lessen  the  ardor  of  our  devotion, 
through  i^hysical  fatigue.  There  are  but  few  whose  read- 
ing would  be  characterized  as  sufficiently  sustained  in  fer- 
vor to  the  close.  We  are  victims  of  habit  in  this,  as  in  all 
other  mattei^s  pertaining  to  the  reading  of  the  Service.  In 
the  supplication,  "  Son  of  God,  we  beseech  Thee  to  hear 
us,"  the  reverential  earnestness  should  be  strongly  marked, 
and  a  faulty  emphasis  upon  "  Thee "  should  be  avoided, 
which  would  imply  that  the  Second  Person  of  the  Holy 
Trinity  had  not  before  been  invoked,  whereas  the  form  of 
Obsecrations  would  show  that  the  greater  part  of  the  Litany 
was  primarily  addressed  to  the  eternal  Son.  And,  for  this 
reason,  when  we  pass  to  the  prayer,  "  We  humbly  beseech 


THE  LESSONS.  177 

Thee,  0  Father,"  etc.,  the  emphasis  is  upon  "  Thee,"  to 
indicate  the  change  in  the  address.  The  deepest  fervor 
should  characterize  the  passage,  with  its  repetition,  "0 
Lamb  of  God,  who  takest  away  the  sins  of  the  world."  As 
in  earnest  entreaty,  especially  in  the  ejaculatory  form  of 
expression,  the  tenderest  and  deepest  emotions  are  uttered, 
so  should  the  voice  indicate  it. 

In  conclusion,  the  reader  of  the  Litany  should  consider 
profoundly  whether  he  is  uttering  this  august  portion  of 
the  Church  Service  according  to  its  own  solemn  and  sub- 
lime character,  or  whether  it  is  rendered  in  the  sing-song 
style  of  a  school-boy,  or  with  the  apathetic  utterance  of  a 
heart  untouched,  or  a  mind  incapable  of  ajipreciating  its 
beauty  and  its  power. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  LESSONS,   ANTE-COMMUNIO]Sr  SEEYICE,    AND   BUEIAL 

SERVICE. 

The  term  ''Lessons"  is  suggestive.  They  should  be 
read  as  if  the  people  were  to  be  taught  something  by  them. 
Further,  the  Lessons  are  inspired.  This  gives  a  different 
character  to  the  utterance  from  that  appropriate  to  any 
other  style  of  reading.  Expression  which  makes  the  lan- 
guage in  any  sense  ordinary  is  out  of  character.  The 
attempted  naturalness  in  the  manner  of  the  utterance  of 
some  readers  is  simply  degrading  to  all  ideas  of  inspired 
thought  and  language.  And  then  their  instructive  charac- 
ter as  Lessons  can  never  be  appropriately  represented  unless 
the  thought  of  the  end  of  the  teaching  of  all  Holy  Scrip- 
ture is  kept  in  view.  It  is  language  to  reach  the  very  souls 
of  men  for  their  spiritual  welfare,  their  salvation.  And 
even  if  it  appears  for  the  time,  in  any  passage,  to  be  purely 
intellectual,  yet  should  the  voice  plainly  carry  with  its  every 
utterance  the  recognition  that  the  subject-matter  is  the 


178  READING   OF  TUE  SERVICE. 

very  Word  of  God,  conveying  truth  which  commends  itself 
to  every  man's  conscience  in  His  sight.  It  should  be  enough 
to  impart  gravity,  sincerity,  and  reverential  earnestness  to 
the  manner  of  reading,  as  we  consider  that  what  we  are 
uttering  is  the  savor  of  life  unto  life,  or  of  death  unto 
death,  to  the  hearer.  The  truths  so  read  will  reach  some 
hearts  with  the  melody  which  is  from  on  high,  while  others, 
on  the  contrary,  will  unconsciously  respond  :  "  Ah,  doth 
he  not  speak  parables  ?  "  In  every  utterance  we  are  sowing 
the  seed — some  by  the  wayside,  some  on  rocks,  some  among 
briers  and  thorns,  and  some  in  honest  and  good  hearts, 
where  it  will  produce  fruit.  There  are  some  readers  who 
seem  to  appreciate  this  ideal  of  a  Divinely  inspired  Lesson, 
containing  truths  of  God  for  the  salvation  of  souls ;  and 
there  are  others  who  seem  to  have  had  no  such  thought  in 
connection  with  the  Sacred  Scrijitures,  and  certainly  no 
such  manner  in  delivering  them  as  would  harmonize  with 
any  high  estimation  of  their  value.  Even  the  outward  act 
in  opening  or  closing,  or  turning  the  leaves  of  the  Bible, 
may  be  found  suggestive.  The  well-known  anecdote  of 
Garrick's  iucpiiry  of  a  clergyman  as  to  what  books  he  had 
with  him  on  Sunday  is  a):)plicable  :  "I  have  the  Prayer- 
Book  and  Bible,  of  course,"  was  the  reply.  "  Oh  !  I  thought 
from  your  manner  of  handling  them  that  they  were  a  ledger 
and  a  day-book."  And,  if  outwardly  the  action  may  ex- 
press a  great  deal,  how  mucli  more  the  voice  ! 

In  forming  a  standard  for  study  and  propriety  of  expres- 
sion, it  is  of  primary  importance  that  the  reading  be  rele- 
vant in  its  tone.  This  is  necessary  in  recognition  of  the 
inspired  character  of  the  language.  It  implies  that  the  ex- 
pression is  deliberate  ;  that  we  read  with  a  heedful  tliought- 
fulness  which  ponders  the  truths  that  are  uttered  ;  that 
there  be  no  violence  done  to  the  ear,  no  shocking  effect  to 
the  sensibilities  ;  but  a  composed,  grave,  and  earnest  de- 
livery, as  though  we  reverenced  the  language  we  uttered, 
valued  its  precepts,  heeded  its  counsels,  rejoiced  in  its  truth. 


THE  LESSONS.  I79 

and  received  it  as  the  law  of  life.  The  reader  is  to  show, 
by  his  expressive  tones,  the  workings  of  his  own  mind,  as 
fully  alive  to  the  truths  proclaimed,  and  that  he  himself  is 
a  fellow-hearer  with  the  rest  of  the  congregation.  This 
living,  vital  connection  with  the  truth  must  be  allowed  to 
mark  its  natural  imj)ress  upon  every  word  that  is  uttered. 
It  will  correct  the  deadening  effects  of  false  habit,  and  give 
a  naturalness,  directness,  and  reality,  which  Avill  help  to 
make  the  expression  genuine. 

Some  of  the  common  faults  are  : 

1.  Incxjn'cssivencss. — This  may  result  from  the  error  of 
making  every  passage  the  same  in  character,  marking  no 
distinction  between  the  sublimestand  the  simplest  passages  ; 
none  between  the  tender  invitations  of  Divine  mercy  and 
the  denunciations  of  Divine  wrath  ;  no  difference  between 
joy  and  sorrow,  prophecy  and  narrative,  epistolary  argument 
and  jubilant  or  plaintive  song. 

2.  Lach  of  sympathy  luith  the  theme  of  the  occasion. — 
The  reader  may  be  apathetic  or  depressed  when  lie  should 
be  joyful  in  spirit ;  or  jubilant  in  tone  when  he  should  bo 
sorrowful.  The  physical  conditions  may  be  such  as  to  in- 
terfere seriously  with  the  power  of  utterance,  or  the  reader 
may  misinterpret  the  true  character  of  the  Lesson,  and  so 
violate  propriety  and  fitness  in  the  style.  Oftentimes,  indeed, 
we  shall  find  that  more  than  one  interpretation  is  alloAvable. 
E.  G.,  the  eight  woes  pronounced  upon  the  Pharisees  and 
Sadducees  would  ordinarily  be  given  with  strong  denunci- 
atory effect;  but  it  is  said  that  the  Rev.  Dr.  Channing,  who 
had  an  unusual  degree  of  expressive  power  in  reading  the 
Scriptures,  gave  it  with  a  depth  of  sorrow,  as  though  it 
grieved  the  heart  of  the  Saviour  to  utter  such  words,  which 
is  in  Rym])athy  with  the  exclamation  :  *'  0  Jeru.salem,  Jeru- 
salem, tliou  that  kille.-^t  the  prophets  ! "  etc. 

3.  Impropriety. — This  may  appear  in  various  ways.  In 
one  respect,  it  would  be  found  in  failure  to  adapt  tlie  ex- 
pression properly  to  the  Fast  or  Festival.     The  dilfcrcncc 


180  READING   OF  THE  SERVICE. 

between  the  jubilaut  utterances  of  Christmas-tide,  Ejjii^h- 
any,  or  Easter,  and,  in  contrast,  the  solemn  warnings  of 
Advent,  or  the  contrition  of  Lent,  must  be  apparent.  Who, 
for  instance,  could  rightly  interpret  the  spirit  of  the  Church's 
Festival  of  the  Epiphany  by  reading  the  glowing  visions 
recorded  in  the  sixtieth  chapter  of  Isaiah's  prophecy  with 
the  tenderness  and  pathos  proper  to  the  Evening  Lesson 
for  Good  Friday,  which  is  the  fifty-third  chajoter  of  the 
same  prophecy,  where  the  heart-touching  descrii:)tion  of  the 
suffering  Messiah  is  the  appointed  meditation  ? 

4.  The  glaring  impropriety  of  the  purely  dramatic 
model,  which  manifests  itself  with  the  extreme  of  vivid 
and  graphic  effect  in  dialogue,  adding  even  the  demonstra- 
tive manner  of  gesticulation,  is  too  palpably  erroneous  to 
require  prolonged  discussion.  But,  while  this,  the  extreme, 
is  to  be  avoided,  the  opposite  error  of  giving  no  sugges- 
tion of  character  or  emotion  in  speaking,  or  the  force  of 
the  inspired  colloquies,  entirely  subjecting  them  to  an  un- 
meaning and  unnatural  sameness  of  expression,  would  be 
open  to  just  criticism.  The  proper  effect,  in  the  passages 
referred  to,  is  to  render  them  with  mimetic  expression, 
not  to  make  them  expressionless.  But  the  whole  style 
should  be  suggestive  of  the  incidents  and  characters  de- 
scribed. 

5.  Another  error  (that  which  is  so  common)  is  the 
pathetic  or  plaiiitive  voice,  which,  in  its  excess,  degenerates 
into  a  whine,  a  relic  of  those  days  when  the  "language  of 
Canaan,"  droned  through  the  nostrils,  was  the  vocal  indi- 
cation of  a  peculiar  type  of  piety.  The  hardy  and  boister- 
ous style,  appropriate  to  the  backwoods,  is,  however,  no 
proper  substitution  for  this. 

6.  An  undue  refinement  of  expression  is  another  defect 
to  be  sedulously  avoided.  The  extreme  delicacy  of  thought 
and  feeling  which  such  attenuation  of  voice  implies  is  not 
adapted  to  manly  and  forcible  effect.  The  reading  of  the 
Scriptures  should,  indeed,  be  rendered  with  refinement,  but 


THE  LESSORS.  181 

not  exquisitely  so.     Mincing  tones  do  not  suit  the  sublime 
and  energetic  portions  of  the  Divine  Word. 

7.  Mannerism  of  any  kind  is  most  unfortiinate,  and  is 
sure  to  divert  the  attention  of  the  hearer  from  the  subject- 
matter  to  the  reader  himself,  which  offends  and  repels.  It 
provokes  criticism,  and  can  scarcely  be  pardoned,  even 
when  prompted  by  the  eccentricities  of  genius. 

8.  3Ionotony  is  another  of  the  faults  destructive  to 
vividness  and  truthfulness  and  impressiveness,  in  the  read- 
ing of  the  Lessons.  It  can  not  be  that  sublimity  and  sim- 
plicity, love  and  anger,  denunciation  and  tenderness,  curs- 
ing and  blessing,  and  all  the  infinite  and  expressive  variety 
of  subjects  and  their  treatment,  found  in  Holy  Scripture, 
can  be  properly  rendered  by  one  unmeaning  and  undevi- 
ating  level  of  voice.  "  The  dignity  of  the  subject,  the 
sublimity  of  the  style,  and  the  simplicity  of  the  language, 
demand  in  every  passage  of  Holy  Scripture  the  mingling 
effects  of  grave,  full,  and  vivid  expression.  To  the  reader 
of  the  sacred  page  should  be  brought  every  aid,  arising  from 
the  deepest  impressions  of  the  heart,  the  most  vivid  effects 
of  poetic  imagination,  the  most  refining  influences  of  high 
intellectual  culture,  all  the  treasures  of  knowledge,  all  the 
riches  and  truer  wealth  of  life  and  experience,  which  can  be 
possessed  ;  all  these  should  be  made  tributary  to  the  reading 
of  the  Scripture  Lessons  in  Divine  Service.  The  spiritual 
and  intellectual  nature  of  man  is  then,  if  ever,  at  its  maxi- 
mum of  experience  and  power,  when  permitted  to  mingle  its 
workings  with  those  of  the  Divine  Mind  in  Revelation." 

It  would  be  well  for  every  reader  to  consider  profound- 
ly the  comprehensive  theory  of  the  judicious  Hooker  just 
stated.  The  reader  of  the  Scriptures  is  their  herald  or 
projihct.  To  this  we  may  add,  he  is  also  their  interpreter  ; 
for  he  conveys  a  meaning,  whether  right  or  wrong,  in 
every  utterance.  In  this  respect  the  office  of  reading  is 
scarcely  inferior  to  that  of  preaching  the  Divine  Word,  for 
the  truth  delivered  is  more  immediately  God's  Word  than 


183  EEADIKG   OF  THE  SERVICE. 

any  human  exposition  of  it.  Every  imperfection,  every 
misreading,  and  misinter]3retation,  is  just  so  much  of  mis- 
representation of  the  truth  which  the  reader  is  striving  to 
declare.  The  reading  of  the  Lessons  should  be  made  of 
absorbing  interest,  and  a  delight  to  the  ear,  instead  of 
being  the  unmeaning,  indifferent  exercise  of  an  irksome  or 
l^erfunctory  duty. 

In  reading  the  Lessons,  the  Minister  should  observe  the 
simple  directions  to  stand  erect,  to  fill  his  lungs,  and  to  be 
deliberate  in  his  utterance.  Distinctness  of  articulation, 
intelligent  use  of  emphasis,  a  due  regard  to  the  rhythmical 
effect,  and  the  observance  of  the  other  particulars  above 
enumerated,  are  all  well  worth  serious  consideration.  The 
occasional  use  of  the  eye  in  expressive  communication,  as 
is  natural  in  conveying  thought  to  the  hearer,  should  not 
be  deemed  unworthy  of  observance.  The  downcast  eye, 
continued  throughout  a  long  Lesson,  can  not  be  the  best 
means  of  assisting  the  voice  to  convey  the  truth,  while  the 
incessant  use  of  the  eye,  giving  the  effect  of  reciting  from 
memory,  is  equally  inappropriate. 

I.  Classifications  of  Sceipture  Lessors  for  Expres- 

SIOJT   ACCORDI^^G   TO    MaNKER   OF    CoMPOSITIOif. 

There  is  first  the  natural  arrangement  according  to 
the  various  styles  of  writing,  as  the  narrative  and  descrip- 
tive, didactic,  prophetic,  and  lyric  passages. 

1.  Narrative  and  Descriptive. 

The  ideal  effect  of  this  style  is  to  read  a  story  inspired  in 
character.  There  are  three  marked  divisions  of  the  style  : 
the  familiar,  the  elevated,  and  the  middle.  The  first  of  these 
is  clearly  indicated  by  the  term,  where  all  the  familiar  and 
colloquial  effects,  which  may  comj)ortwith  the  theories  and 
principles  previously  laid  down,  are  found.  The  "  ele- 
vated "  includes  the  sublime  and  majestic  passages  in  nar- 
rative form,  requiring  greater  dignity  and  force  of  expres- 


THE  LESSOXS.  183 

sion  than  in  the  familiar.  The  intermediate  effect  is  made 
the  third  division,  where  the  reading  has  something  of  the 
simplicity  of  the  first  division,  but  is  characterized  by  greater 
gravity  of  style  from  the  dignity  of  the  theme,  yet  is  not 
marked  by  the  fullest  degree  of  sublimity. 

a.  Familiar. — "  When  therefore  the  Lord  knew  how  the 
Pliarisees  had  heard  that  Jesus  made  and  baptized  more 
disciples  than  John,  (though  Jesus  himself  baptized  not, 
but  his  disciples,)  he  left  Judea,  and  departed  again  into 
Galilee.  And  he  must  needs  go  through  Samaria.  Then 
Cometh  he  to  a  city  of  Samaria,  which  is  called  Sychar, 
near  to  the  parcel  of  ground  that  Jacob  gave  to  his  son 
Joseph.  Now  Jacob's  well  was  there.  Jesus  therefore,  be- 
ing wearied  with  his  journey,  sat  thus  on  the  well :  and  it 
was  about  the  sixth  hour.  There  cometh  a  woman  of  Sama- 
ria to  draw  water :  Jesus  saith  unto  her.  Give  me  to  drink. 
(For  his  disciples  were  gone  away  unto  the  city  to  buy  meat.) 
Then  saith  the  woman  of  Samaria  unto  him.  How  is  it  that 
thou,  being  a  Jew,  askest  drink  of  me,  which  am  a  woman 
of  Samaria  ?  for  the  Jews  have  no  dealings  with  the  Samari- 
tans. Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  her.  If  thou  knewest 
the  gift  of  God,  and  who  it  is  that  saith  to  thee.  Give  me  to 
drink  ;  thou  wouldest  have  asked  of  him,  and  he  would  have 
given  thee  living  water.  The  woman  saith  unto  him.  Sir, 
tliou  hast  nothing  to  draw  with,  and  the  well  is  deep  :  from 
whence  then  hast  thou  that  living  water  ?  Art  thou  greater 
than  our  father  Jacob,  which  gave  us  the  well,  and  drank 
thereof  himself,  and  his  children,  and  his  cattle  ?  Jesus 
answered  and  said  unto  her.  Whosoever  drinketh  of  this 
water  shall  thirst  again  :  but  whosoever  drinketh  of  the 
water  that  I  shall  give  him  shall  never  thirst  ;  but  the  water 
that  I  shall  give  him  shall  be  in  him  a  well  of  water  spring- 
ing up  into  everlasting  life." — St.  John,  iv.,  1-14. 

Betrothing  of  Rebecca,  Gen.  xxiv. ;  Judah's  Appeal,  Gen. 
xliv. ;  Samuel  before  Eli,  I.  Sam.  iii.,  18,  and  most  of  the 
Gospel  narratives. 


184  BEADING   OF  THE  SERVICE. 

J).  Elevated. — ''And  God  said,  Let  the  eartli  bring  forth 
the  living  creature  after  his  kind,  cattle,  and  creeping 
thing,  and  beast  of  the  earth  after  his  kind  :  and  it  was  so. 
And  God  made  the  beast  of  the  earth  after  his  kind,  and 
cattle  after  their  kind,  and  everything  that  creepeth  upon 
the  earth  after  his  kind :  and  God  saw  that  it  was  good. 
And  God  said,  Let  us  make  man  in  our  image,  after  our 
likeness  :  and  let  them  have  dominion  over  the  fish  of 
the  sea,  and  over  the  fowl  of  the  air,  and  over  the  cat- 
tle, and  over  all  the  earth,  and  over  every  creeping  thing 
that  creepeth  upon  the  earth.  So  God  created  man  in  his 
own  image,  in  the  image  of  God  created  he  him  ;  male  and 
female  created  he  them.  And  God  blessed  them,  and  God 
said  unto  them,  Be  fruitful,  and  multiply,  and  replenish 
the  earth,  and  subdue  it  :  and  have  dominion  over  the  fish 
of  the  sea,  and  over  the  fowl  of  the  air,  and  over  every 
living  thing  that  moveth  upon  the  earth.  And  God  said. 
Behold,  I  have  given  you  every  herb  bearing  seed,  which  is 
upon  the  face  of  all  the  earth,  and  every  tree,  in  the  which 
is  the  fruit  of  a  tree  yielding  seed ;  to  you  it  shall  be  for 
meat.  And  to  every  beast  of  the  earth,  and  to  every  fowl 
of  the  air,  and  to  every  thing  that  creepeth  upon  the  earth, 
wherein  there  is  life,  I  have  given  every  green  herb  for 
meat  :  and  it  was  so.  And  God  saw  every  thing  that  he 
had  made,  and,  behold,  it  was  very  good.  And  the  even- 
ing and  the  morning  were  the  sixth  day." — Gen.  i.,  24-31. 

The  Flood,  Gen.  vii.  and  viii.  ;  Abraham's  Vision,  Gen. 
XV.  ;  the  Sacrifice  of  Isaac  (as  a  type).  Good  Friday  Les- 
son, Gen,  xxii.  ;  Mission  of  Moses,  Ex.  iii. ;  Giving  of  the 
Law,  Ex.  xix.  ;  Dedication  of  the  Temple,  L  Kings,  viii.  ; 
the  Day  of  Pentecost,  Acts,  ii.  ;  Narratives  of  the  Kesur- 
rection  ;  Triumphs  of  Faith,  Heb.  xi. ;  Worship  in  Heaven, 
Eev.  xiv.  ;  the  River  and  Tree  of  Life,  Eev.  xxii.,  etc. 

c.  Middle. — "  And  David  rose  up  early  in  the  morning, 
and  left  the  sheep  with  a  keeper,  and  took,  and  went,  as 
Jesse  had  commanded  him  ;  and  he  came  to  the  trench,  as 


THE  LESSOlsS.  185 

the  host  was  going  forth  to  the  fight,  and  shouted  for  the 
battle.  For  Israel  and  the  Philistines  had  put  the  battle 
in  array,  army  against  army.  And  David  left  his  carriage 
in  the  hand  of  the  keeper  of  the  carriage,  and  ran  into  the 
army,  and  came  and  saluted  his  brethren.  And  as  he 
talked  with  them,  behold,  there  came  up  the  champion 
(the  Philistine  of  Gath,  Goliath  by  name)  out  of  the  armies 
of  the  Philistines,  and  spake  according  to  the  same  words  : 
and  David  heard  them.  And  all  the  men  of  Israel,  when 
they  saw  the  man,  fled  from  him,  and  were  sore  afraid. 
And  the  men  of  Israel  said.  Have  ye  seen  this  man  that  is 
come  up  ?  surely  to  defy  Israel  is  he  come  uj)  :  and  it  shall 
be,  that  the  man  who  killeth  him,  the  king  will  enrich  him 
with  great  riches,  and  will  give  him  his  daughter,  and  make 
his  father's  house  free  in  Israel.  And  David  spake  to  the  men 
that  stood  by  him,  saying.  What  shall  be  done  to  the  man 
that  killeth  this  Philistine,  and  taketh  away  the  reproach 
from  Israel  ?  for  who  is  this  uncircumcised  Philistine,  that 
he  should  defy  the  armies  of  the  living  God  ?  And  the 
people  answered  him  after  this  manner,  saying,  So  shall  it 
be  done  to  the  man  that  killeth  him.  .  .  .  And  David  said 
to  Saul,  Let  no  man's  heart  fail  because  of  him  :  thy  ser- 
vant will  go  and  fight  with  this  Philistine.  And  Saul  said 
to  David,  Thou  art  not  able  to  go  against  this  Philistine  to 
fight  with  him  :  for  thou  art  but  a  youth,  and  he  a  man  of 
war  from  his  youth.  And  David  said  unto  Saul,  Thy  ser- 
vant kept  his  father's  sheep,  and  there  came  a  lion,  and  a 
bear,  and  took  a  lamb  out  of  the  flock  :  and  I  went  out 
after  him,  and  smote  him,  and  delivered  it  out  of  his  mouth  : 
and  when  he  arose  against  mo,  I  caught  him  by  his  beard, 
and  smote  him,  and  slew  him.  Thy  servant  slew  both  the 
lion  and  the  bear  ;  and  this  uncircumcised  Pliilistine  shall 
be  as  one  of  them,  seeing  he  hath  defied  the  armies  of  the 
living  God.  David  said  moreover,  The  Lokd  that  delivered 
me  out  of  the  paw  of  the  lion,  and  out  of  the  paw  of  the 
bear,  he  will  deliver  me  out  of  the  hand  of  this  Philistine. 


186  READING   OF  THE  SERVICE. 

And  Saul  said  unto  Dayid,  Go,  and  the  Lord  be  with  thee. 

And  Saul  armed  David  with  his  armour,  and  he  put  an  helmet 

of  brass  upon  his  head  ;  also  he  armed  him  with  a  coat  of 

mail.     And  David  girded  his  sword  upon  his  armour,  and 

he  assayed  to  go  ;  for  he  had  not  proved  it.     And  David 

said  unto  Saul,  I  cannot  go  with  these  ;  for  I  have  not 

proved  them.    And  David  put  them  off  him.    And  he  took 

his  staff  in  his  hand,  and  chose  him  five  smooth  stones  out 

of  the  brook,  and  put  them  in  a  shepherd's  bag  which  he 

had,  even  in  a  scrip  ;  and  his  sling  was  in  his  hand  :  and 

he  drew  near  to  the  Philistine.     And  the  Philistine  came 

on,  and  drew  near  unto  David  ;  and  the  man  that  bare  the 

shield  went  before  him.     And  when  the  Philistine  looked 

about,  and  saw  David,  he  disdained  him  :  for  he  was  but 

a  youth,  and  ruddy,  and  of  a  fair  countenance.     And  the 

Philistine  said  unto  David,  Am  I  a  dog,  that  thou  comest 

to  me  with  staves  ?    And  the  Philistine  cursed  David  by 

his  gods.     And  the  Philistine  said  to  David,  Come  to  me, 

and  I  will  give  thy  flesh  unto  the  fowls  of  the  air,  and  to 

the  beasts  of  the  field.     Then  said  David  to  the  Philistine, 

Thou  comest  to  me  with  a  sword,  and  with  a  spear,  and 

with  a  shield  :   but  I  come  to  thee  in  the  name  of  the 

LoED  of  hosts,  the  God  of  the  armies  of  Israel,  whom  thou 

hast  defied." — I.  Sam.  xvii.,  20,  etc. 

Death  of  Abel,   Gen.  iv. ;  Jephthah's  Vow,  Judges,  xi. ; 

Raising  of  Lazarus,  St.  John,  xi.  ;  St.  Paul  before  Agrippa, 

Acts,  xxvi.,  etc. 

2.  Didactic. 

a.  Epistolary  Style. — "  Though  I  speak  with  the  tongues 
of  men  and  of  angels,  and  have  not  charity,  I  am  become 
as  sounding  brass,  or  a  tinkling  cymbal.  And  though  I 
have  the  gift  of  prophecy,  and  understand  all  mysteries, 
and  all  knowledge  ;  and  though  I  have  all  faith,  so  that  I 
could  remove  mountains,  and  have  not  charity,  I  am  noth- 
ing. And  though  I  bestow  all  my  goods  to  feed  the  poor, 
and  though  I  give  my  body  to  be  burned,  and  have  not 


THE  LESSOXS.  187 

charity,  it  profitetli  me  uothiug.  Charity  suffereth  long, 
and  is  kind  ;  charity  envieth  not ;  charity  yaunteth  not 
itself,  is  not  puffed  up,  doth  not  behave  itself  unseemly, 
seeketh  not  her  own,  is  not  easily  provoked,  thinketh 
no  evil ;  rejoiceth  not  in  iniquity,  but  rejoiceth  in  the 
truth  ;  beareth  all  things,  believeth  all  things,  hopeth  all 
things,  endureth  all  things.  Charity  never  faileth  :  but 
whether  there  be  prophecies,  they  shall  fail ;  whether  there 
be  tongues,  they  shall  cease  ;  whether  there  be  knowledge, 
it  shalf  vanish  away.  For  we  know  in  part,  and  we  prophe- 
sy in  part.  But  when  that  which  is  perfect  is  come, 
then  that  which  is  in  part  shall  be  done  away.  When  I 
was  a  child,  I  spake  as  a  child,  I  understood  as  a  child,  I 
thoudit  as  a  child  ;  but  when  I  became  a  man,  I  put  away 
childish  things.  For  now  we  see  through  a  glass,  darkly  ; 
but  then  face  to  face  :  now  I  know  in  part  ;  but  then  shall 
I  know  even  as  also  I  am  known.  And  now  abideth  faith, 
hope,  charity,  these  three  ;  but  the  greatest  of  these  is  char- 
ity."— I.  Cor.  xiii. 

"  What  shall  we  say  then  ?  Is  there  unrighteousness 
with  God  ?  God  forbid.  For  he  saith  to  Moses,  I  will 
have  mercy  on  whom  I  will  have  mercy,  and  I  will  have 
compassion  on  whom  I  will  have  compassion.  So  then  it 
is  not  of  him  that  willeth,  nor  of  him  that  runneth,  but  of 
God  that  sheweth  mercy.  For  the  Scripture  saith  unto 
Pharaoh,  Even  for  this  same  purpose  have  I  raised  thee  up, 
tliat  I  might  shew  my  power  in  thee,  and  that  my  name 
might  be  declared  throughout  all  the  earth.  Therefore 
hath  he  mercy  on  whom  he  will  have  mercy,  and  whom  he 
will  he  hardeneth.  Thou  wilt  say  then  unto  me.  Why  doth 
he  yet  find  fault  ?  For  who  hath  resisted  his  will  ?  Nay 
but,  0  man,  who  art  thou  that  repliest  against  God  ?  Shall 
the  thing  formed  say  to  liim  that  formed  it.  Why  hast  thou 
made  me  thus  ?  Ilath  not  the  potter  power  over  the  clay, 
of  the  same  lump  to  make  one  vessel  unto  honour  and  an- 
other unto  dishonour?    What  if  God,  willing  to  show  his 


188  READING    OF  THE  SERVICE. 

wrath,  and  to  make  his  power  known,  endured  with  much 
longsuffering  the  vessels  of  wrath  fitted  to  destruction  : 
and  that  he  might  make  known  the  riches  of  his  glory  on 
the  vessels  of  mercy,  which  he  had  afore  ^orepared  unto 
glory,  even  us,  whom  he  hath  called,  not  of  the  Jews  only, 
but  also  of  the  Gentiles  ?  As  he  saitli  also  in  Osee,  I  will 
call  them  my  people,  which  were  not  my  people ;  and  her 
beloved,  which  was  not  beloved." — Eom.  ix.,  14-25. 

"Paul,  and  Silvanus,  and  Timotheus,  unto  the  church 
of  the  Thessalonians  in  God  our  Father  and  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  :  grace  unto  you,  and  peace,  from  God  our  Father 
and  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  We  are  bound  to  thank  God 
always  for  you,  brethren,  as  it  is  meet,  because  that  your 
faith  groweth  exceedingly,  and  the  charity  of  every  one  of 
you  all  toward  each  other  aboundeth  ;  so  that  we  ourselves 
glory  in  you  in  the  churches  of  God,  for  your  patience  and 
faith  in  all  your  persecutions  and  tribulations  that  ye  en- 
dure ;  which  is  a  manifest  token  of  the  righteous  judgment 
of  God,  that  ye  may  be  counted  worthy  of  the  kingdom  of 
God,  for  which  ye  also  suffer  :  seeing  it  is  a  righteous  thing 
with  God  to  recompense  tribulation  to  them  tliat  trouble 
you  ;  and  to  you  who  are  troubled,  rest  with  us  ;  when  the 
Lord  Jesus  shall  be  revealed  from  heaven  with  his  mighty 
angels,  in  flaming  fire  taking  vengeance  on  them  that  know 
not  God,  and  that  obey  not  the  gospel  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  :  who  shall  be  punished  with  everlasting  destruction 
from  the  presence  of  the  Lord  and  from  the  glory  of  his 
power  ;  when  he  shall  come  to  be  glorified  in  his  saints,  and 
to  be  admired  in  all  them  that  believe  (because  our  testi- 
mony among  you  was  believed)  in  that  day.  Wherefore 
also  we  pray  always  for  you,  that  our  God  would  count  you 
worthy  of  this  calling,  and  fulfil  all  the  good  pleasure  of 
his  goodness,  and  the  work  of  faith  with  power  ;  that  the 
name  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  may  be  glorified  in  you, 
and  ye  in  him,  according  to  the  grace  of  our  God  and  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ."— IL  Thess.  i.,  1-13. 


THE  LESSONS.  189 

Eom.  iii.,  Rom.  xi.,  I.  Cor.  xv.,  Col.  i.,  Heb.  ix.,  Heb. 

h.  Oral  and  Parabolic  Style. — The  style  being  precep- 
tive, there  is  more  frequent  use  of  distinctive  emphasis 
and  pause  than  in  flowing  narration,  or  in  the  reading  of 
letters  (i.  e.,  the  Epistles).  There  are  also  the  directness 
and  naturalness  of  tone  which  imply  that  these  were  spoken 
words,  rather  than  written.  In  the  reading  of  the  Ser- 
mon on  the  Mount,  as  it  is  so  full,  and  yet  so  condensed  m 
expression,  the  reader  should  aim  at  conveying  most  em- 
phatically and  distinctly  a  full  degree  of  meaning,  especi- 
ally in  the  Beatitudes.  If,  throughout  the  inspired  Word, 
every  passage  is  of  value,  and  to  be  reverently  regarded, 
how  precious  are  those  words  of  Him  Who  spake  as  never 
man  spake,  and  W^hose  deep  meaning  can  only  be  partially 
uttered  in  human  language  ! 

''And  seeing  the  multitudes,  he  went  up  into  a  moun- 
tain :  and  when  he  was  set,  his  disciples  came  unto  him  : 
And  he  opened  his  mouth,  and  taught  them,  saying, 
Blessed  are  the  poor  in  spirit :  for  theirs  is  the  kingdom  of 
heaven.  Blessed  are  they  that  mourn  :  for  they  shall  be 
comforted.  Blessed  are  the  meek  :  for  they  shall  inherit 
the  earth.  Blessed  are  they  which  do  hunger  and  thirst 
after  righteousness  :  for  they  shall  be  filled.  Blessed  are 
the  merciful :  for  they  shall  obtain  mercy.  Blessed  are  the 
pure  in  heart :  for  they  shall  see  God.  Blessed  are  the 
peacemakers  :  for  they  shall  be  called  the  children  of  God. 
Blessed  are  they  which  are  persecuted  for  righteousness' 
sake  :  for  theirs  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  Blessed  are  ye, 
when  men  shall  revile  you,  and  persecute  you,  and  shall 
say  all  manner  of  evil  against  you  falsely,  for  my  sake. 
Rejoice,  and  be  exceeding  glad  :  for  great  is  your  reward  in 
heaven  :  for  so  persecuted  they  the  prophets  which  were 
before  you. 

•  •  •  •  •  • 

^'No  man  can  serve  two  masters  :  for  cither  he  will  hate 


190  READING    OF  THE  SERVICE. 

the  one,  and  love  the  other ;  or  else  he  "will  hold  to  the 
one,  and  despise  the  other.  Ye  cannot  serve  God  and 
mammon.  Therefore  I  say  unto  you.  Take  no  thought  for 
your  life,  what  ye  shall  eat,  or  what  ye  shall  drink  ;  nor 
yet  for  your  body,  what  ye  shall  put  on.  Is  not  the  life 
more  than  meat,  and  the  body  than  raiment  ?  Behold  the 
fowls  of  the  air  :  for  they  sow  not,  neither  do  they  reap, 
nor  gather  into  barns ;  yet  your  heavenly  Father  feedeth 
them.  Are  ye  not  much  better  than  they  ?  Which  of  you 
by  taking  thought  can  add  one  cubit  unto  his  stature  ? 
And  why  take  ye  thought  for  raiment  ?  Consider  the  lilies 
of  the  field,  how  they  grow ;  they  toil  not,  neither  do  they 
spin  :  and  yet  I  say  unto  you.  That  even  Solomon  m  all  his 
glory  was  not  arrayed  like  one  of  these.  Wherefore,  if  God 
so  clothe  the  grass  of  the  field,  which  to  day  is,  and  to 
morrow  is  cast  into  the  oven,  shall  he  not  much  more  clothe 
you,  0  ye  of  little  faith  ?  Therefore  take  no  thought,  say- 
ing, What  shall  we  eat  ?  or.  What  shall  we  drink,  or.  Where- 
withal shall  we  be  clothed  ?  (For  after  all  these  things  do 
the  Gentiles  seek  :)  for  your  heavenly  Father  knoweth  that 
ye  have  need  of  all  these  things.  But  seek  ye  first  the 
kingdom  of  God,  and  his  righteousness  ;  and  all  these 
things  shall  be  added  unto  you.  Take  therefore  no  thought 
for  the  morrow  :  for  the  morrow  shall  take  thought  for  the 
things  of  itself.  Sufficient  unto  the  day  is  the  evil  there- 
of."— St.  Matt.  V.  and  vi. 

"Then  shall  the  kingdom  of  heaven  be  likened  unto 
ten  virgins,  which  took  their  lamps,  and  went  forth  to  meet 
the  bridegroom.  And  five  of  them  were  wise,  and  five 
were  foolish.  They  that  were  foolish  took  their  lamps, 
and  took  no  oil  with  them  :  but  the  wise  took  oil  in  their 
vessels  with  their  lamps.  While  the  bridegroom  tarried, 
they  all  slumbered  and  slept.  And  at  midnight  there  was 
a  cry  made,  Behold,  the  bridegroom  cometh  ;  go  ye  out  to 
meet  him.  Then  all  those  virgins  arose,  and  trimmed  their 
lamps.     And  the  foolish  said  unto  the  wise.  Give  us  of  your 


THE  LESSONS.  191 

oil ;  for  our  lamjis  are  gone  out.  But  the  wise  answered, 
saying,  Not  so  ;  lest  there  be  not  enough  for  us  and  you  : 
but  go  ye  rather  to  them  that  sell,  and  buy  for  yourselves. 
And  while  they  went  to  buy,  the  bridegroom  came ;  and 
they  that  were  ready  went  in  with  him  to  the  marriage  : 
and  the  door  was  shut.  Afterward  came  also  the  other 
virgins,  saying,  Lord,  Lord,  open  to  us.  But  he  answered 
and  said.  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  I  know  you  not.  "Watch 
therefore  ;  for  ye  know  neither  the  day  nor  the  hour  where- 
in the  Son  of  man  cometh." — St.  Matt,  xxv.,  1-13. 

"And  he  began  again  to  teach  by  the  sea  side  :  and 
there  was  gathered  unto  him  a  great  multitude,  so  that  he 
entered  into  a  ship,  and  sat  in  the  sea ;  and  the  whole  mul- 
titude was  by  the  sea  on  the  land.  And  he  taught  them 
many  things  by  parables,  and  said  unto  them  in  his  doctrine. 
Hearken  ;  Behold,  there  went  out  a  sower  to  sow  :  and  it 
came  to  pass,  as  he  sowed,  some  fell  by  the  way  side,  and 
the  fowls  of  the  air  came  and  devoured  it  up.  And  some 
fell  on  stony  ground,  where  it  had  not  much  earth ;  and 
immediately  it  sprang  up,  because  it  had  no  depth  of  earth  : 
but  when  the  sun  was  up,  it  was  scorched  ;  and  because  it 
had  no  root,  it  withered  away.  And  some  fell  among 
thorns  ;  and  the  thorns  grew  up,  and  choked  it,  and  it 
yielded  no  fruit.  And  other  fell  on  good  ground,  and  did 
yield  fruit  that  sprang  up  and  increased,  and  brought  forth, 
some  thirty,  and  some  sixty,  and  some  a  hundred.  And 
he  said  unto  them,  lie  that  hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear. 
And  when  he  was  alone,  they  that  were  about  him  with  the 
twelve  asked  of  him  the  parable.  And  he  said  unto  them. 
Unto  you  it  is  given  to  know  the  mystery  of  the  kingdom 
of  God  ;  but  unto  them  that  are  without,  all  these  things 
are  done  in  parables  :  That  seeing  they  may  see,  and  not 
perceive  ;  and  hearing  they  may  hear,  and  not  understand  ; 
lest  at  any  time  they  should  be  converted,  and  their  sins 
should  be  forgiven  them.  And  lie  said  unto  them.  Know 
ye  not  this  parable  ?  and  how  then  will  ye  know  all  para- 
9 


192  READING   OF  THE  SERVICE. 

bles  ?  The  sower  sowetli  the  word.  And  these  are  they 
by  the  way  side,  where  the  word  is  sown  ;  but  when  they 
have  heard,  Satan  cometh  immediately,  and  taketh  away 
the  word  that  was  sown  in  tlieir  hearts.  And  these  are  they 
likewise  which  are  sown  on  stony  ground  ;  who,  when  they 
have  heard  the  word,  immediately  receive  it  with  gladness  ; 
and  have  no  root  in  themselves,  and  so  endure  but  for  a 
time  :  afterward,  when  affliction  or  persecution  ariseth  for 
the  word's  sake,  immediately  they  are  offended.  And  these 
are  they  which  are  sown  among  thorns ;  such  as  hear  the 
word,  and  the  cares  of  this  world,  and  the  deceitfulness  of 
riches,  and  the  lusts  of  other  things  entering 'in,  choke  the 
word,  and  it  becometh  unfruitful.  And  these  are  they 
which  are  sown  on  good  ground  ;  such  as  hear  the  word, 
and  receive  it,  and  bring  forth  fruit,  some  thirtyfold,  some 
sixty,  and  some  a  hundred." — St.  Mark,  iv.,  1-20. 

Sermon  on  the  Mount  entire,  all  the  Parables,  the  Dis- 
courses of  our  Lord,  the  Book  of  Proverbs,  etc. 

S.  Prophetic. 

The  style  of  delivery  is  heraldic,  as  the  preceding  have 
been  preceptive  and  descriptive.  There  are  two  natural 
divisions  of  the  style — the  bolder  and  the  gentler. 

a.  Bold,  requiring  energy  and  fullness  of  voice. — "  Blow 
ye  the  trumpet  in  Zion,  and  sound  an  alarm  in  my  holy 
mountain  :  let  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  land  tremble  ; 
for  the  day  of  the  Lord  cometh,  for  it  is  nigh  at  hand  ; 
a  day  of  darkness  and  of  gloominess,  a  day  of  clouds  and 
of  thick  darkness,  as  the  morning  spread  upon  the  mount- 
ains :  a  great  people  and  a  strong  ;  there  hath  not  been 
ever  the  like,  neither  shall  be  any  more  after  it,  even  to  the 
years  of  many  generations.  A  fire  devoureth  before  them  ; 
and  behind  them  a  flame  burnetii  :  the  land  is  as  the  garden 
of  Eden  before  them,  and  behind  them  a  desolate  wilder- 
ness ;  yea,  and  nothing  shall  escai^e  them.  The  appearance 
of  them  is  as  the  appearance  of  horses ;  and  as  horsemen, 


THE  LESSORS.  193 

so  shall  tliey  run.  Like  the  noise  of  chariots  on  the  tops  of 
mountains  shall  they  leap,  like  the  noise  of  a  flame  of  fire 
that  devoureth  the  stubble,  as  a  strong  people  set  in  battle 
array.  Before  their  face  the  people  shall  be  much  pained  ; 
all  faces  shall  gather  blackness.  They  shall  run  like  mighty 
men  ;  they  shall  climb  the  wall  like  men  of  war  ;  and  they 
shall  march  every  one  on  his  ways,  and  they  shall  not  break 
their  ranks ;  neither  shall  one  thrust  another ;  they  shall 
walk  every  one  in  his  path  :  and  when  they  fall  upon  the 
sword,  they  shall  not  be  wounded.  They  shall  run  to  and 
fro  in  the  city  ;  they  shall  run  ujDon  the  wall ;  they  shall 
climb  up  upon  the  houses ;  they  shall  enter  in  at  the  win- 
dows like  a  thief.  The  earth  shall  quake  before  them  ;  the 
heavens  shall  tremble  :  the  sun  and  the  moon  shall  be  dark, 
and  the  stars  shall  withdraw  their  shining  :  And  the  Lord 
shall  utter  his  voice  before  his  army ;  for  his  camj)  is  very 
great :  for  he  is  strong  that  executeth  his  word  :  for  the 
day  of  the  Lord  is  great  and  very  terrible  ;  and  who  can 
abide  it  ?  " — Joel,  ii.,  1-11. 

"Proclaim  ye  this  among  the  Gentiles;  Prepare  war, 
wake  up  the  mighty  men,  let  all  the  men  of  war  draw 
near ;  let  them  come  up  :  beat  your  ploughshares  into 
swords,  and  your  pruninghooks  into  spears  :  let  the  weak 
say,  I  am  strong.  Assemble  yourselves,  and  come,  all  jq 
heathen,  and  gather  yourselves  together  round  about : 
thither  cause  thy  mighty  ones  to  come  down,  0  Lord. 
Let  the  heathen  be  wakened,  and  come  up  to  the  valley  of 
Jehoshaphat :  for  there  will  I  sit  to  judge  all  the  heathen 
round  about.  Put  ye  in  the  sickle  ;  for  the  harvest  is  ripe  : 
come,  get  you  down  ;  for  the  press  is  full,  the  fats  over- 
flow ;  for  their  wickedness  is  great.  Multitudes,  multitudes 
in  the  valley  of  decision  :  for  the  day  of  the  Lord  is  near  in 
the  valley  of  decision.  The  sun  and  the  moon  shall  be 
darkened,  and  the  stars  shall  withdraw  their  shining.  The 
Lord  also  shall  roar  out  of  Zion,  and  utter  his  voice  from 
Jerusalem  ;  and  the  heavens  and  the  earth  shall  shake  :  but 


19i  READIXG    OF  THE  SERVICE. 

the  Lord  will  be  the  hope  of  his  people,  and  the  strength 
of  the  children  of  Israel." — Joel,  iii.,  9-16. 

"  Woe  to  the  crown  of  pride,  to  the  drunkards  of  Ephra- 
im,  whose  glorious  beauty  is  a  fading  flower,  which  are  on 
the  head  of  the  fat  valleys  of  them  that  are  overcome  with 
wine  !  Behold  the  Lord  hath  a  mighty  and  strong  one, 
which,  as  a  temj^est  of  hail,  and  a  destroying  storm,  as  a  flood 
of  mighty  waters  overflowing,  shall  cast  down  to  the  earth 
with  the  hand.  The  crown  of  pride,  the  drunkards  of  Ephra- 
im,  shall  be  trodden  under  feet." — Isaiah,  xxviii.,  1-3. 

"  Ho,  every  one  that  thirsteth,  come  ye  to  the  waters, 
and  he  that  hath  no  money  ;  come  ye,  buy,  and  eat ;  yea, 
come,  buy  wine  and  milk  without  money  and  without 
price.  Wherefore  do  ye  spend  money  for  that  which  is  not 
bread  ?  and  your  labour  for  that  which  satisfieth  not  ? 
Hearken  diligently  unto  me,  and  eat  ye  that  which  is  good, 
and  let  your  soul  delight  itself  in  fatness.  Incline  your 
ear,  and  come  unto  me  :  hear,  and  your  soul  shall  live ; 
and  I  will  make  an  everlasting  covenant  with  you,  even  the 
sure  mercies  of  Da^ad.  Behold,  I  have  given  him  for  a 
witness  to  the  people,  a  leader  and  commander  to  the  peo- 
ple. Behold,  thou  shalt  call  a  nation  that  thou  knowest 
not,  and  nations  that  knew  not  thee  shall  run  unto  thee, 
because  of  the  Lord  thy  God,  and  for  the  Holy  One  of 
Israel  ;  for  he  hath  glorified  thee." — Isaiah,  Iv.,  1-5. 

Denunciation  and  Indignation,  Isaiah,  1. ;  Rej)roof  of 
Jerusalem,  Zeph.  iii. ;  Eebuke  of  Israel,  Amos,  v. ;  Joy  and 
TriumiDh,  Isaiah,  Ix.  and  Hi. ;  etc. 

a.  Subdued. — The  sympathetic  exjDression  should  be 
very  strongly  marked  in  the  description  of  the  suffering 
Messiah.  All  the  sorrow  of  the  other  passages  is  subdued. 
Hence  the  propriety  of  gentleness  in  the  delivery. 

*' Behold,  my  servant  shall  deal  prudently,  he  shall  be 
exalted  and  extolled,  and  be  very  high.  As  many  were  as- 
tonied  at  thee ;  his  visage  was  so  marred  more  than  any 
man,  and  his  form  more  than  the  sons  of  men  :   so  shall 


THE  LESSONS.  195 

he  sprinkle  many  nations  ;  the  kings  shall  shut  their 
mouths  at  him  :  for  that  which  had  not  been  told  them 
shall  they  see  ;  and  that  which  they  had  not  heard  shall 
they  consider." — Isaiah,  lii.,  13-15, 

"  Who  hath  believed  our  report  ?  and  to  whom  is  the 
arm  of  the  Loed  revealed  ?  For  he  shall  grow  up  before 
him  as  a  tender  plant,  and  as  a  root  out  of  a  dry  ground  : 
he  hath  no  form  nor  comeliness  ;  and  when  we  shall  see 
him,  there  is  no  beauty  that  we  should  desire  him.  He  is 
desjDised  and  rejected  of  men ;  a  man  of  sorrows,  and  ac- 
quainted with  grief  :  and  we  hid  as  it  were  our  faces  from 
him  ;  he  was  despised,  and  we  esteemed  him  not.  Surely 
he  hath  borne  our  griefs,  and  carried  our  sorrows  :  yet  we 
did  esteem  him  stricken,  smitten  of  God,  and  afflicted.  But 
he  was  wounded  for  our  transgressions,  he  was  bruised  for 
our  iniquities  :  the  chastisement  of  our  peace  was  upon 
him  ;  and  with  his  stripes  we  are  healed.  All  we,  like  sheep, 
have  gone  astray ;  we  have  turned  every  one  to  his  own 
way ;  and  the  Loed  hath  laid  on  him  the  iniquity  of  us  all. 
He  was  oppressed,  and  he  was  afflicted  ;  yet  he  opened  not 
his  mouth  :  he  is  brought  as  a  lamb  to  the  slaughter,  and 
as  a  sheep  before  her  shearers  is  dumb,  so  he  openeth  not 
his  mouth.  He  was  taken  from  prison  and  from  judg- 
ment :  and  who  shall  declare  his  generation  ?  for  he  was 
cut  off  out  of  the  land  of  the  living  :  for  the  transgression 
of  my  people  was  he  stricken.  And  he  made  his  grave  with 
the  wicked,  and  with  the  rich  in  his  death  ;  because  he  had 
done  no  violence,  neither  was  any  deceit  in  his  mouth. 
Yet  it  pleased  the  Loed  to  bruise  him  ;  he  hath  put  him 
to  grief  :  when  thou  shalt  make  his  soul  an  offering  for  sin, 
he  shall  see  his  seed,  he  shall  prolong  his  days,  and  the 
pleasure  of  the  Loed  shall  prosper  in  his  hand.  He  shall 
see  of  the  travail  of  his  soul,  and  shall  be  satisfied  :  by  his 
knowledge  shall  my  righteous  servant  justify  many  ;  for  he 
shall  bear  their  iniquities.  Therefore  will  I  divide  him  a 
portion  with  the  great,  and  he  shall  divide  the  spoil  with 


196  BEADING    OF  THE  SERVICE. 

the   strong  ;   because  he  hath   j^oured   out   his   soul  unto 

death  :  and  he  was  numbered  with  the  transgressors  ;  and 

he  bare  the  sin  of  many,  and  made  intercession  for  the 

transgressors. " — Isaiah,  liii. 

Comfort  of  the   Gospel,   Isaiah,   xli.,  xlii.  ;   Office  of 

Christ,    Isaiah,    Ixi.,    1-4.  ;    Lamentations   of    Jeremiah, 

Prayer  of  Jonah,  Repentance  and  Promise  of  God's  Blessing, 

Hosea,  xiv.,  etc. 

Jf..  Lyric  Passages. 

These  are  found  to  be  as  varied  as  the  emotions  which 
they  describe,  and  differ  somewhat  from  the  other  classifi- 
cations in  being  primarily  emotional  above  all  the  rest. 
In  reading  we  do  not  pour  forth  the  full  exj)ression  of  a 
feeling  as  quietly  as  we  should  tell  a  story  in  the  narrative 
style,  nor  would  it  correspond  with  the  didactic  utterance 
of  doctrinal  or  preceptive  truth  ;  nor,  again,  would  it  find 
the  same  expression  as  the  heraldic  proclamations  of  proph- 
ecy. The  following  passages  are  musical  in  expression  from 
their  rhythmical  structure.  They  are  the  songs,  the  psalms, 
and  hymns  of  Holy  Scripture  : 

"And  Mary  said.  My  soul  doth  magnify  the  Lord,  and 
my  spirit  hath  rejoiced  in  God  my  Saviour.  For  he  hath 
regarded  the  low  estate  of  his  handmaiden  :  for,  behold, 
from  henceforth  all  generations  shall  call  me  blessed.  For 
he  that  is  mighty  hath  done  to  me  great  things ;  and  holy 
is  his  name.  And  his  mercy  is  on  them  that  fear  him,  from 
generation  to  generation.  He  hath  shewed  strength  with 
his  arm  ;  he  hath  scattered  the  proud  in  the  imagination 
of  their  hearts.  He  hath  put  down  the  mighty  from  their 
seats,  and  exalted  them  of  low  degree.  He  hath  filled  the 
hungry  with  good  things,  and  the  rich  he  hath  sent  emj^ty 
away.  He  hath  holpen  his  servant  Israel,  in  remembrance 
of  his  mercy  ;  as  he  spake  to  our  fathers,  to  Abraham, 
and  to  his  seed  for  ever." — St.  Luke,  i.,  46-55. 

The  Song  of  Miriam,  Ex.  xv.;  the  greater  j^art  of  the 
Book  of  Job  ;  the  Song  of  Deborah,  Judges,  v. ;  the  Song 


THE  LESSON'S.  197 

of  Hannali,  T.  Sam.  ii.;  the  Song  of  Solomon ;  the  Praj-er 
of  Daniel,  Dan.  ix.;  the  Prayer  of  Habbakuk,  Hab.  iii.; 
the  Song  of  Simeon,  St.  Luke,  ii.,  etc.;  and  the  Psalter. 

II.  Classification  of  Lessons  for  Expression  accord- 
ing TO  THE  Spirit  of  the  Fast  or  Festival. 

The  expression  in  the  reading  of  a  passage  is  not  so 
strongly  marked  when  the  portion  occurs  in  the  Daily 
Calendar  as  when  it  is  used  for  a  special  Fast  or  Feast — e.  g., 
at  Christmas  : 

*'And,  lo,  the  angel  of  the  Lord  came  upon  them,  and 
the  glory  of  the  Lord  shone  round  about  them  ;  and  they 
were  sore  afraid.  And  the  angel  said  unto  them,  Fear  not: 
for,  behold,  I  bring  you  good  tidings  of  great  joy,  which 
shall  be  to  all  people.  For  unto  you  is  born  this  day,  in  the 
city  of  David,  a  Saviour,  which  is  Christ  the  Lord.  And 
this  shall  be  a  sign  unto  you  :  Ye  shall  find  the  babe  wrapped 
in  swaddling  clothes,  lying  in  a  manger.  And  suddenly 
there  was  with  the  angel  a  multitude  of  the  heavenly  host, 
praising  God,  and  saying  :  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest, 
and  on  earth  peace,  good  will  toward  men." — St.  Luke,  ii., 
9-14. 

So  especially  with  the  Epistle  and  Gospel.  Every  allu- 
sion to  the  doctrine  of  the  Incarnation,  in  these  passages, 
should  be  delivered  with  the  distinctive  emphasis  which 
makes  them  ap^jlicable  to  this  festival. 

"  God,  who  at  sundry  times  and  in  divers  manners  spake 
in  time  past  unto  the  fathers  by  the  prophets,  hath  in  these 
last  days  spoken  unto  us  by  his  Son,  whom  he  hath  ap- 
pointed heir  of  all  things,  by  whom  also  he  made  the 
worlds  ;  who  (being  the  brightness  of  his  glory,  and  the 
express  image  of  his  person,  and  upholding  all  tilings  by 
the  word  of  his  power),  when  he  had  by  himself  purged 
our  sins,  sat  down  on  the  right  hand  of  the  ]\Iajesty  on 
high  ;  being  made  so  much  better  tlian  the  angels,  as  he 
liath  by  inheritance  obtained  a  more  excellent  name  than 


198  READING    OF  THE  SERVICE. 

they.  For  unto  which  of  the  angels  said  he  at  any  time, 
Thou  art  my  Son,  this  day  have  I  begotten  thee  ?  And 
again,  I  will  be  to  him  a  Father,  and  he  shall  be  to  me  a 
Son  ?  And  again,  when  he  bringeth  in  the  First-begotten 
into  the  world,  he  saith,  And  let  all  the  angels  of  God  wor- 
ship him.  And  of  the  angels  he  saith,  AVho  maketh  his 
angels  sjjirits,  and  his  ministers  a  flame  of  fire.  But  unto 
the  Son  he  saith.  Thy  throne,  0  God,  is  for  ever  and  ever  ; 
a  sceptre  of  righteousness  is  the  sceptre  of  thy  kingdom. 
Thou  hast  loved  righteousness,  and  hated  iniquity  ;  there- 
fore God,  even  thy  God,  hath  anointed  thee  with  the  oil  of 
gladness  above  thy  fellows.  And,  Thou,  Lord,  in  the  be- 
ginning hast  laid  the  foundation  of  the  earth  ;  and  the 
heavens  are  the  works  of  thine  hands  :  they  shall  perish, 
but  thou  remainest :  and  they  all  shall  wax  old  as  doth  a 
garment ;  and  as  a  vesture  shalt  thou  fold  them  u]),  and 
they  shall  be  changed  :  but  thou  art  the  same,  and  thy 
years  shall  not  fail." — The  Epistle,  Heb.  i.,  1-12. 

"In  the  beginning  was  the  Word,  and  the  Word  was 
with  God,  and  the  Word  was  God.  The  same  was  in  the 
beginning  with  God,  All  things  were  made  by  him  ;  and 
without  him  was  not  anything  made  that  was  made.  In 
him  was  life  ;  and  the  life  was  the  light  of  men.  And  the 
light  shineth  in  darkness  ;  and  the  darkness  comprehended 
it  not.  There  was  a  man  sent  from  God,  whose  name  was 
John.  The  same  came  for  a  witness,  to  bear  witness  of  the 
Light,  that  all  men  through  him  might  believe.  He  was 
not  that  Light,  but  was  sent  to  bear  witness  of  that  Light. 
That  was  the  true  Light,  which  lighteth  every  man  that 
cometli  into  the  world.  He  was  in  the  world,  and  the 
world  was  made  by  him,  and  the  world  knew  him  not.  He 
came  unto  his  own,  and  his  own  received  him  not.  But  as 
many  as  received  him,  to  them  gave  he  power  to  become 
the  sons  of  God,  even  to  them  that  believe  on  his  name  : 
which  were  born,  not  of  blood,  nor  of  the  will  of  the  flesh, 
nor  of  the  will  of  man,  but  of  God.     And  the  Word  was 


TEE  LESSOITS.  199 

made  flesh,  and  dwelt  among  us,  (and  we  beheld  his  glory, 
the  glory  as  of  the  only-begotten  of  the  Father,)  full  of 
grace  and  truth." — The  Gospel,  St.  John,  i.,  1-14. 

Ascension  Day. — The  translation  of  Elijah,  as  a  type 
of  the  Ascension  of  Christ,  should  be  read  with  especial 
emphasis  on  the  typical  passages,  in  the  first  Lesson  of  the 
Morning  Service  for  this  day. 

"And  it  came  to  pass,  when  the  Lord  would  take  up 
Elijah  into  heaven  by  a  whirlwind,  that  Elijah  went  with 
Elisha  from  Gilgal.  And  Elijah  said  unto  Elisha,  Tarry 
here,  I  pray  thee  ;  for  the  Lord  hath  sent  me  to  Beth-el. 
And  Elisha  said  unto  him.  As  the  Lord  liveth,  and  as  thy 
soul  liveth,  I  will  not  leave  thee.  So  they  went  down  to 
Beth-el.  And  the  sons  of  the  prophets  that  were  at  Beth-el 
came  forth  to  Elisha,  and  said  unto  him,  Knowest  thou 
that  the  Lord  will  take  away  thy  master  from  thy  head  to- 
day ?  And  he  said.  Yea,  I  know  it ;  hold  ye  your  peace. 
And  Elijah  said  unto  him,  Elisha,  tarry  here,  I  pray  thee  ; 
for  the  Lord  hath  sent  me  to  Jericho.  And  he  said.  As 
the  Lord  liveth,  and  as  thy  soul  liveth,  I  will  not  leave 
thee.  So  they  came  to  Jericho.  And  the  sons  of  tlie 
prophets  that  were  at  Jericho  came  to  Elisha,  and  said  unto 
him,  Knowest  thou  that  the  Lord  will  take  away  thy 
master  from  thy  head  to-day  ?  And  he  answered.  Yea,  I 
know  it ;  hold  ye  your  peace.  And  Elijah  said  unto  him, 
Tarry,  I  jjray  thee,  here  ;  for  tlie  Lord  hath  sent  me  to 
Jordan.  And  he  said.  As  the  Lord  liveth,  and  as  thy  soul 
liveth,  I  will  not  leave  thee.  And  they  two  went  on.  And 
fifty  men  of  the  sous  of  the  j)rophets  went,  and  stood  to 
view  afar  oif  :  and  they  two  stood  by  Jordan.  And  Elijah 
took  his  mantle,  and  wrapped  it  together,  and  smote  the 
waters,  and  they  were  divided  hither  and  thither,  so  that 
they  two  went  over  on  dry  ground.  And  it  came  to  pass, 
when  they  were  gone  over,  that  Elijah  said  unto  Elisha, 
Ask  what  I  shall  do  for  thee,  before  I  be  taken  away  from 
thee.     And  Elisha  said,  I  pray  thee,  let  a  double  portion  of 


200  READING   OF  TEE  SERVICE. 

thy  spirit  be  upon  me.  And  he  said,  Thou  liast  asked  a 
hard  thing  :  nevertheless,  if  thou  see  me  when  I  am  taken 
from  thee,  it  shall  be  so  unto  thee  ;  but  if  not,  it  shall  not 
be  so.  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  they  still  went  on,  and 
talked,  that,  behold,  there  appeared  a  chariot  of  fire,  and 
horses  of  fire,  and  parted  them  both  asunder ;  and  Elijah 
went  up  by  a  wliirlwind  into  heayen.  And  Elisha  saw  it, 
and  he  cried.  My  father,  my  father  !  the  chariot  of  Israel, 
and  the  horsemen  thereof.  And  he  saw  him  no  more  :  and 
he  took  hold  of  his  own  clothes,  and  rent  them  in  two 
pieces.  He  took  up  also  the  mantle  of  Elijah  that  fell  from 
him,  and  went  back,  and  stood  by  the  bank  of  Jordan  ; 
and  he  took  the  mantle  of  Elijah  that  fell  from  him,  and 
smote  the  w\aters,  and  said.  Where  is  the  Loed  God  of 
Elijah  ?  And  when  he  also  had  smitten  the  waters,  they 
jiarted  hither  and  thither :  and  Elisha  went  over." — II. 
Kings,  ii.,  1-14. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  multiply  selections  as  illustrations 
of  the  manifest  propriety  of  the  application  of  the  style  of 
expression  to  the  Fast  or  Festival,  and  Scripture  Lessons, 
as  enforcing  their  teaching.  It  is  enough,  to  use  the  ex- 
pression of  a  respected  bishop  of  the  Church,  if  the  read- 
ing be  "inflamed"  with  the  characteristic  expression. 

The  Epiphany. — The  expressions  in  the  Epistle  relat- 
ing to  the  Gentiles  should  be  distinctly  emphasized. 

"For  this  cause,  I  Paul,  the  prisoner  of  Jesus  Christ 
for  you  Gentiles  ;  if  ye  have  heard  of  the  dispensation  of 
the  grace  of  God,  which  is  given  me  to  youward  :  How  that 
by  revelation  he  made  known  unto  me  the  mystery  (as  I 
wrote  afore  in  few  words,  whereby,  when  ye  read,  ye  may 
understand  my  knowledge  in  the  mystery  of  Christ)  which 
in  other  ages  was  not  made  known  unto  the  sons  of  men, 
as  it  is  now  revealed  unto  his  holy  Apostles  and  Prophets  by 
the  Spirit ;  that  the  Gentiles  should  be  fellow-heirs,  and  of 
the  same  body,  and  partakers  of  his  promise  in  Christ,  by 
the  Gospel  :  whereof  I  was  made  a  minister,  according  to 


THE  LESSON'S.  201 

the  gift  of  the  grace  of  God  given  unto  me  by  the  effectual 
"working  of  his  power.  Unto  me,  who  am  less  than  the 
least  of  all  saints,  is  this  grace  given,  that  I  should  jireach 
among  the  Gentiles  the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ :  and 
to  make  all  men  see  what  is  the  fellowship  of  the  mystery, 
which  from  the  beginning  of  the  world  hath  been  hid  in 
God,  who  created  all  things  by  Jesus  Christ :  to  the  intent 
that  now  unto  the  principalities  and  powers  in  heavenly 
places  might  be  known,  by  the  Church,  the  manifold  wisdom 
of  God,  according  to  the  eternal  inirpose  which  he  purposed 
in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord  :  in  whom  we  have  boldness  and 
access  with  confidence  by  the  faith  of  him. — Eph.  iii.,  1-12. 

The  Epiphany,  second  Lesson,  a.  m. 

As  almost  every  verse  has  some  reference  to  the  calling 
of  the  Gentiles,  so  should  the  marked  emphasis  show  the 
particular  teaching  of  the  Epiphany  Festival  in  the  Lesson. 

"  I  say  then,  Ilath  God  cast  away  his  people  ?  God  for- 
bid. For  I  also  am  an  Israelite,  of  the  seed  of  Abraham, 
of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin.  God  hath  not  cast  away  his 
people  which  he  foreknew.  Wot  ye  not  what  the  Scripture 
saith  of  Elias  ?  how  he  maketh  intercession  to  God  asrainst 
Israel,  saying,  Lord,  they  have  killed  thy  prophets,  and 
digged  down  thine  altars  ;  and  I  am  left  alone,  and  they 
seek  n^  life.  But  what  saith  the  answer  of  God  unto  him  ? 
I  have  reserved  to  myself  seven  tliousand  men,  who  have 
not  bowed  the  knee  to  the  image  of  Baal.  Even  so  then  at 
this  present  time  also  tliere  is  a  remnant  according  to  the 
election  of  grace.  And  if  by  grace,  then  is  it  no  more  of 
works  :  otherwise  grace  is  no  more  grace.  But  if  it  be  of 
works,  then  is  it  no  more  grace  :  otherwise  work  is  no  more 
work.  What  then  ?  Israel  hatli  not  obtained  that  which 
he  seeketh  for  ;  but  the  election  hath  obtained  it,  and  the 
rest  were  blinded.  (According  as  it  is  written,  God  hatli 
given  them  the  spirit  of  slumber,  eyes  that  they  should  not 
see,  and  ears  that  they  should  not  hear ;)  unto  this  day. 
And  David  saith.  Let  their  table  be  made  a  snare,  and  a 


202  READING   OF  THE  SERVICE. 

trap,  and  a  stumblingblock,  and  a  recompense  unto  them  : 
Let  their  eyes  be  darkened,  that  they  may  not  see,  and 
bow  down  their  back  alway.  I  say  then,  Have  they  stumbled 
that  they  should  fall  ?  God  forbid  :  but  rather  through 
their  fall  salvation  is  come  unto  the  Gentiles,  for  to  pro- 
yoke  them  to  jealousy.  Now  if  the  fall  of  them  be  the 
riches  of  the  world,  and  the  diminishing  of  them  the  riches 
of  the  Gentiles  ;  how  much  more  their  fulness  ?  For  I 
speak  to  you  Gentiles,  inasmuch  as  I  am  the  apostle  of  the 
Gentiles,  I  magnify  mine  office ;  if  by  any  means  I  may 
jarovoke  to  emulation  them  which  are  my  flesh,  and  might 
save  some  of  them.  For  if  the  casting  away  of  them  be 
the  reconciling  of  the  world,  what  shall  the  receiving  of 
them  be,  but  life  from  the  dead  ?  For  if  the  first  fruit  be 
holy,  the  lump  is  also  holy  :  and  if  the  root  be  holy,  so  are 
the  branches.  And  if  some  of  the  branches  be  broken  off, 
and  thou,  being  a  wild  olive  tree,  wert  graffed  in  among 
them,  and  with  them  partakest  of  the  root  and  fatness  of 
the  olive  tree  ;  boast  not  against  the  branches.  But  if  thou 
boast,  thou  bearest  not  the  root,  but  the  root  thee.  Thou 
wilt  say  then,  The  branches  were  broken  off,  that  I  might 
be  graffed  in.  "Well ;  because  of  unbelief  they  were  broken 
off,  and  thou  standest  by  faith.  Be  not  highminded,  but 
fear  ;  for  if  God  spared  not  the  natural  branches,  take  heed 
lest  he  also  sj)are  not  thee.  Behold  therefore  the  goodness 
and  severity  of  God  :  on  them  which  fell,  severity ;  but 
toward  thee,  goodness,  if  thou  continue  in  his  goodness  : 
otherwise  thou  also  shalt  be  cut  off.  And  they  also,  if  they 
abide  not  still  in  unbelief,  shall  be  graffed  in  :  for  God  is 
able  to  graff  them  in  again.  For  if  thou  wert  cut  out  of 
the  olive  tree  which  is  wild  by  nature,  and  wert  graffed 
contrary  to  nature  into  a  good  olive  tree  ;  how  much  more 
shall  these,  which  be  the  natural  branches,  be  graffed  into 
their  own  olive  tree  ?  For  I  would  not,  brethren,  that  jq 
should  be  ignorant  of  this  mystery,  lest  ye  should  be  wise 
in  your  own  conceits  ;  that  blindness  in  part  is  happened  to 


THE  LESSONS.  203 

Israel,  until  the  fulness  of  the  Gentiles  be  come  in.  And 
so  all  Israel  shall  be  saved  :  as  it  is  written,  There  shall 
come  out  of  Siou  the  Deliyerer,  and  shall  turn  away  ungod- 
liness from  Jacob  :  for  this  is  my  covenant  unto  them, 
when  I  shall  take  away  their  sins.  As  concerning  the 
Gospel,  they  are  enemies  for  your  sakes  :  but  as  touching 
the  election,  they  are  beloved  for  the  fathers'  sakes.  For 
the  gifts  and  calling  of  God  are  without  repentance.  For 
as  ye  in  times  past  have  not  believed  God,  yet  have  now 
obtained  mercy  through  their  unbelief  :  even  so  have  these 
also  now  not  believed,  that  through  your  mercy  they  also 
ma}^  obtain  mercy.  For  God  hath  concluded  them  all  in 
unbelief,  that  he  might  have  mercy  upon  all.  0  the  depth 
of  the  riches  both  of  the  wisdom  and  knowledge  of  God  ! 
how  unsearchable  are  his  judgments,  and  his  ways  i^ast 
finding  out !  For  who  hath  known  the  mind  of  the  Lord  ? 
or  who  hath  been  his  counsellor  ?  or  who  hath  first  given 
to  him,  and  it  shall  be  recompensed  unto  him  again  !  For 
of  him,  and  through  him,  and  to  him,  are  all  things  :  to 
whom  be  glory  for  ever.     Amen." — Rom.  xi. 

The  Epistle  for  Good  Friday. — "  The  Law  having  a 
shadow  of  good  things  to  come,  and  not  the  very  image  of 
the  things,  can  never,  with  those  sacrifices  which  they  of- 
fered year  by  year  continually,  make  the  comers  thereunto 
perfect.  For  then  would  they  not  have  ceased  to  be 
offered  ?  because  that  the  worshippers  once  purged  should 
have  had  no  more  conscience  of  sins.  But  in  those  sacri- 
fices there  is  a  remembrance  again  made  of  sins  every  year. 
For  it  is  not  possible  that  the  blood  of  bulls  and  of  goats 
should  take  away  sins.  Wherefore,  when  He  cometh  into 
tiie  world,  he  saith.  Sacrifice  and  offering  thou  wouldest 
not,  but  a  body  hast  thou  prepared  me  :  in  burnt-offerings 
and  sacrifices  for  sin  thou  hast  had  no  pleasure.  Then  said 
I,  Lo,  I  come  (in  the  volume  of  the  book  it  is  written  of 
me)  to  do  thy  will,  0  God.  Above,  when  he  said.  Sacrifice 
and  offering  and  burnt-offerings  and  offering  for  sin  thou 


204  RE  AD  IX  G   OF  THE  SERVICE. 

"wouldest  not,  neither  hadst  pleasure  therein ;  which  are 
offered  by  the  Law ;  then  said  he,  Lo,  I  come  to  do  thy 
will,  0  God.  He  taketh  away  the  first,  that  he  may  estab- 
lish the  second.  By  the  which  will  we  are  sanctified 
through  the  offering  of  the  body  of  Jesus  Christ  once  for 
all.  And  every  priest  standeth  daily  ministering  and  offer- 
ing oftentimes  the  same  sacrifices,  which  can  never  take 
away  sins  :  but  this  Man,  after  he  had  offered  one  sacrifice 
for  sins  for  ever,  sat  down  on  the  right  hand  of  God  ;  from 
henceforth  expecting  till  his  enemies  be  made  his  footstool. 
For  by  one  offering  he  hath  perfected  for  ever  them  that  are 
sanctified.  Whereof  the  Holy  Ghost  also  is  a  witness  to 
us  :  for  after  that  he  had  said  before.  This  is  the  covenant 
that  I  will  make  with  them  after  those  days,  saith  the  Lord, 
I  will  put  my  laws  into  their  hearts,  and  in  their  minds  will 
I  write  them  ;  and  their  sins  and  iniquities  will  I  remember 
no  more.  Now  where  remission  of  these  is,  there  is  no 
more  offering  for  sin.  Having  therefore,  brethren,  bold- 
ness to  enter  into  the  holiest  by  the  blood  of  Jesus,  by  a 
new  and  living  way,  which  he  hath  consecrated  for  us, 
through  the  vail,  that  is  to  say,  his  flesh ;  and  having  an 
High  Priest  over  the  house  of  God  ;  let  us  draw  near  with 
a  true  heart,  in  full  assurance  of  faith,  having  our  hearts 
sprinkled  from  an  evil  conscience,  and  our  bodies  washed 
with  i:»ure  water.  Let  us  hold  fast  the  profession  of  our 
faith  without  wavering  ;  (for  He  is  faithful  that  promised ;) 
and  let  us  consider  one  another  to  provoke  unto  love  and 
to  good  works  :  not  forsaking  the  assembling  of  ourselves 
together,  as  the  manner  of  some  is  ;  but  exhorting  one 
another  :  and  so  much  the  more,  as  ye  see  the  day  approach- 
ing."— Heb.  X.,  1-25. 

III.  The  Expression  as  suggested  by  the  Emotion". 

a.  Solemnity. — "Now  Jesus  loA^ed  Martha,  and  her  sis- 
ter, and  Lazarus.  When  he  had  heard  therefore  that  he 
was  sick,  he  abode  two  days  still  in  the  same  place  where 


THE  LESSONS.  205 

lie  was.  Then  after  that  saith  he  to  his  disciples,  Let  us 
go  into  Judea  again.  His  disciples  say  unto  him,  Master, 
the  Jews  of  late  sought  to  stone  thee  ;  and  goest  thou 
thither  again  ?  Jesus  answered.  Are  there  not  twelve  hours 
in  the  day  ?  If  any  man  walk  in  the  day,  he  stumbleth 
not,  because  he  seeth  the  light  of  this  world.  But  if  a 
man  walk  in  the  night,  he  stumbleth,  because  there  is  no 
light  in  him.  These  things  said  he  :  and  after  that  he  saith 
unto  them.  Our  friend  Lazarus  sleepeth ;  but  I  go,  that  I 
may  awake  him  out  of  sleep.  Then  said  his  disciples. 
Lord,  if  he  sleep,  he  shall  do  well.  Howbeit  Jesus  spake 
of  his  death  :  but  they  thought  that  he  had  spoken  of  tak- 
ing of  rest  in  sleep.  Then  said  Jesus  unto  them  plainly, 
Lazarus  is  dead ;  and  I  am  glad  for  your  sakes  that  I  was 
not  there,  to  the  intent  ye  may  believe  ;  nevertheless  let  us 
go  unto  him.  Then  said  Thomas,  which  is  called  Didymus, 
unto  his  fellow  disciples.  Let  us  also  go,  that  we  may  die 
Avith  him.  Then  when  Jesus  came,  he  found  that  he  had 
lain  in  the  grave  four  days  already.  Now  Bethany  was 
nigh  unto  Jerusalem,  about  fifteen  furlongs  off  :  and  many 
of  the  Jews  came  to  Martha  and  Mary,  to  comfort  them 
concerning  their  brother.  Then  Martha,  as  soon  as  she 
heard  that  Jesus  was  coming,  went  and  met  him  :  but  Mary 
sat  still  in  the  house.  Then  said  Martha  unto  Jesus,  Lord, 
if  thou  hadst  been  here,  my  brother  had  not  died.  But  I 
know,  that  even  now,  whatsoever  thou  wilt  ask  of  God,  God 
will  give  it  thee.  Jesus  saith  unto  her.  Thy  brother  shall 
rise  again.  Martha  saith  unto  him,  I  know  that  he  shall 
rise  again  in  the  resurrection  at  the  last  day.  Jesus  said 
unto  her,  I  am  the  resurrection,  and  the  life  :  he  that  be- 
lieve th  in  me,  though  he  were  dead,  yet  shall  he  live  :  and 
whosoever  livetli  and  belicvcth  in  me  shall  never  die.  Bc- 
lievest  thou  this  ?  .She  saith  unto  him,  Yea,  Lord  :  I  believe 
that  thou  art  tlie  Christ,  tlie  Son  of  God,  which  should  come 
into  the  world.  And  when  she  had  so  said,  she  went  her 
way,  and  called  Mary  her  sister  secretly,  saying.  The  Master 


206  BEADING   OF  THE  SERVICE. 

is  come,  and  calleth  for  tliee.  As  soon  as  she  heard  that, 
she  arose  quickly,  and  came  unto  him.  Now  Jesus  was  not 
yet  come  into  the  town,  but  was  in  that  place  where  Martha 
met  him.  The  Jews  then  which  were  with  her  in  the  house, 
and  comforted  her,  when  they  saw  Mary,  that  she  rose  up 
hastily  and  went  out,  followed  her,  saying,  She  goeth  unto 
the  grave  to  weep  there.  Then  when  Mary  was  come  where 
Jesus  was,  and  saw  him,  she  fell  down  at  his  feet,  saying 
unto  him,  Lord,  if  thou  hadst  been  here,  my  brother  had 
not  died.  When  Jesus  therefore  saw  her  weeping,  and  the 
Jews  also  weeping  which  came  with  her,  he  groaned  in  the 
spirit,  and  was  troubled.  And  said.  Where  have  ye  laid 
him  ?  They  say  unto  him,  Lord,  come  and  see.  Jesus 
wept.  Then  said  the  Jews,  behold  how  he  loved  him  !  And 
some  of  them  said,  Could  not  this  man,  which  opened  the 
eyes  of  the  blind,  have  caused  that  even  this  man  should 
not  have  died  ?  Jesus  therefore,  again  groaning  in  himself, 
cometh  to  the  grave.  It  was  a  cave,  and  a  stone  lay  upon 
it.  Jesus  said,  Take  ye  away  the  stone.  Martha,  the  sister 
of  him  that  was  dead,  saith  unto  him.  Lord,  by  this  time 
he  stinketh  :  for  he  hath  been  dead  four  days.  Jesus  saith 
unto  her,  Said  I  not  unto  thee,  that,  if  tliou  wouldest  be- 
lieve, thou  shouldest  see  the  glory  of  God  ?  Then  they 
took  away  the  stone  from  the  place  where  the  dead  was 
laid.  And  Jesus  lifted  up  his  eyes,  and  said,  Father,  I 
thank  thee  that  thou  hast  heard  me.  And  I  knew  that 
thou  hearest  me  always  :  but  because  of  the  peoi^le  which 
stand  by  I  said  it,  that  they  may  believe  that  thou  hast  sent 
me.  And  when  he  thus  had  spoken,  he  cried  with  a  loud 
voice,  Lazarus,  come  forth.  And  he  that  was  dead  came 
forth,  bound  hand  and  foot  with  graveclothes  ;  and  his  face 
was  bound  about  with  a  napkin.  Jesus  saith  unto  them. 
Loose  him,  and  let  him  go." — St.  John,  xi.,  5-44. 

*'  Let  your  loins  be  girded  about,  and  your  lights  burn- 
ing ;  and  ye  yourselves  like  unto  men  that  wait  for  their 
lord,  when  he  will  return  from  the  wedding  ;  that,  when 


THE  LESSON'S.  207 

he  Cometh  and  knocketh,  they  may  open  unto  him  imme- 
diately. Blessed  are  those  servants,  whom  the  lord,  when 
he  Cometh,  shall  fiud  watching:  verily  I  say  unto  you,  that 
he  shall  gird  himself,  and  make  them  to  sit  down  to  meat, 
and  will  come  forth  and  serve  them.  And  if  he  shall  come 
in  the  second  watch,  or  come  in  the  third  watch,  and  find 
them  so,  blessed  are  those  servants." — St.  Luke,  xii.,  35-38. 

"And  there  shall  be  signs  in  the  sun,  and  in  the  moon, 
and  in  the  stars ;  and  upon  the  earth  distress  of  nations, 
with  perplexity  ;  the  sea  and  the  waves  roaring  ;  men's 
hearts  failing  them  for  fear,  and  for  looking  after  those 
things  which  are  coming  on  the  earth  :  for  the  powers  of 
heaven  shall  be  shaken.  And  then  shall  they  see  the  Son 
of  man  coming  in  a  cloud  with  pov/er  and  great  glory. 
And  when  these  things  begin  to  come  to  pass,  then  look 
up,  and  lift  up  your  heads ;  for  your  redemption  draweth 
nigh.  And  he  spake  to  them  a  parable  ;  Beliold  the  fig 
tree,  and  all  the  trees  ;  when  they  now  shoot  forth,  ye  see 
and  know  of  your  own  selves  that  summer  is  now  nigh  at 
hand.  So  likewise  ye,  when  ye  see  these  things  come  to 
pass,  know  ye  that  the  kingdom  of  God  is  nigh  at  hand. 
Verily  I  say  unto  you.  This  generation  shall  not  pass  away, 
till  all  be  fulfilled.  Heaven  and  earth  shall  pass  away  :  but 
my  words  shall  not  pass  away." — St.  Luke,  xxi.,  25-33. 

"When  the  Son  of  man  shall  come  in  his  glory,  and  all 
the  holy  angels  with  him,  then  shall  he  sit  upon  tlie  throne 
of  his  glory  :  and  before  him  shall  be  gathered  all  nations  : 
and  he  shall  separate  them  one  from  another,  as  a  shepherd 
divideth  his  sheep  from  the  goats  :  and  he  shall  set  the 
sheep  on  his  right  hand,  but  the  goats  on  the  left.  Then 
shall  the  King  say  unto  them  on  his  right  hand.  Come,  ye 
blessed  of  my  Father,  inherit  the  kingdom  prepared  for  you 
from  the  foundation  of  the  world  :  for  I  was  an  hungered, 
and  ye  gave  me  meat :  I  was  thirsty,  and  ye  gave  me  drink  : 
I  was  a  stranger,  and  ye  took  me  in  :  naked,  and  ye  clothed 
me  :  I  was  sick,  and  yc  visited  me  :  I  was  in  prison,  and  ye 


208  READING    OF  THE  SERVICE. 

came  unto  me.  Then  shall  the  righteous  answer  him,  say- 
ing, Lord,  when  saw  we  thee  an  hungered,  and  fed  thee  ? 
or  thirsty,  and  gave  thee  drink  ?  When  saw  we  thee  a 
stranger,  and  took  thee  in  ?  or  naked,  and  clothed  thee  ? 
Or  when  saw  we  thee  sick,  or  in  prison,  and  came  unto 
thee  ?  And  the  King  shall  answer  and  say  unto  them, 
Verily  I  say  unto  you,  Inasmuch  as  ye  have  done  it  unto 
one  of  the  least  of  these  my  brethren,  ye  have  done  it  unto 
me.  Then  shall  he  say  unto  them  on  the  left  hand.  De- 
part from  me,  ye  cursed,  into  everlasting  fire,  prepared  for 
the  devil  and  his  angels  :  for  I  was  an  hungered,  and  ye 
gave  me  no  meat :  I  was  thirsty,  and  ye  gave  me  no  drink  : 
I  was  a  stranger,  and  ye  took  me  not  in  :  naked,  and  ye 
clothed  me  not :  sick,  and  in  prison,  and  ye  visited  me  not. 
Then  shall  they  also  answer  him,  saying.  Lord,  when  saw 
we  thee  an  hungered,  or  athirst,  or  a  stranger,  or  naked,  or 
sick,  or  in  prison,  and  did  not  minister  unto  thee  ?  Then 
shall  he  answer  them,  saying,  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  Inas- 
much as  ye  did  it  not  to  one  of  the  least  of  these,  ye  did 
it  not  to  me.  And  these  shall  go  away  into  everlasting 
jranishment :  but  the  righteous  into  life  eternal." — St. 
Matt.  XXV.,  31-46. 

i.  Pathos.  —  ''And  Judah  said,  What  shall  we  say  unto 
my  lord  ?  what  shall  we  speak  ?  or  how  shall  we  clear  our- 
selves ?  God  hath  found  out  the  iniquity  of  thy  servants  : 
behold,  we  are  my  lord's  servants,  both  we,  and  he  also 
with  whom  the  cup  is  found.  And  he  said,  God  forbid 
that  I  should  do  so  :  but  the  man  in  whose  hand  the  cup 
is  found,  he  shall  be  my  servant ;  and  as  for  you,  get  you 
up  in  peace  unto  your  father.  Then  Judah  came  near  unto 
him,  and  said,  0  my  lord,  let  thy  servant,  I  pray  thee,  speak 
a  word  in  my  lord's  ears,  and  let  not  thine  anger  burn 
against  thy  servant :  for  thou  art  even  as  Pharaoh.  My 
lord  asked  his  servants,  saying.  Have  ye  a  father,  or  a 
brother  ?  And  we  said  unto  my  lord.  We  have  a  father,  an 
old  man,  and  a  child  of  his  old  age,  a  little  one ;  and  his 


THE  LESSONS.  209 

brother  is  dead,  and  he  alone  is  left  of  his  mother,  and  his 
father  loveth  him.  And  thou  saidst  unto  thy  servants. 
Bring  him  down  unto  me,  that  I  may  set  mine  eyes  upon 
him.  And  we  said  unto  my  lord.  The  lad  cannot  leave  his 
father  :  for  if  he  should  leave  his  father,  his  father  would 
die.  And  thou  saidst  unto  thy  servants,  Except  your 
youngest  brother  come  down  with  you,  ye  shall  see  my  face 
no  more.  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  we  came  up  unto  thy 
servant  my  father,  we  told  him  the  words  of  my  lord.  And 
our  father  said,  Go  again,  and  buy  us  a  little  food.  And 
we  said.  We  cannot  go  down  :  if  our  youngest  brother  be 
with  us,  then  will  we  go  down  :  for  we  may  not  see  the 
man's  face,  except  our  youngest  brother  be  with  us.  And 
thy  servant  my  father  said  unto  us.  Ye  know  that  my  wife 
bare  me  two  sons  :  and  the  one  went  out  from  me,  and  I 
said,  Surely  he  is  torn  in  pieces  ;  and  I  saw  him  not  since  : 
and  if  ye  take  this  also  from  me,  and  mischief  befall  him, 
5'e  shall  bring  down  my  gray  hairs  with  sorrow  to  the  grave. 
Now  therefore  when  I  come  to  thy  servant  my  father,  and 
the  lad  be  not  with  us  ;  seeing  that  his  life  is  bound  up  in 
the  lad's  life  ;  it  shall  come  to  pass,  when  he  seeth  that  the 
lad  is  not  with  us,  that  he  will  die  :  and  thy  servants  shall 
bring  down  the  gray  hairs  of  thy  servant  our  father  with 
sorrow  to  the  grave.  For  thy  servant  became  surety  for 
the  lad  unto  my  father,  saying,  If  I  bring  him  not  unto 
thee,  tlien  I  shall  bear  the  blame  to  my  father  for  ever. 
Now  tlierefore,  I  pray  thee,  let  tliy  servant  abide  instead  of 
the  lad  a  bondman  to  my  lord  ;  and  let  the  lad  go  up  with 
his  brethren.  For  how  shall  I  go  up  to  my  father,  and  the 
lad  be  not  with  me  ?  lest  peradventure  I  see  the  evil  that 
shall  come  on  my  father." — Gen.  xliv.,  16-34. 

c.  Consolation. — "The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  God  is  upon 
me  ;  because  the  Lord  hatii  anointed  me  to  preach  good 
tidings  unto  the  meek  ;  he  hath  sent  me  to  bind  \\\)  the 
brokenhearted,  to  proclaim  liberty  to  the  captives,  and  the 
opening  of  the  prison  to  them  that  iirc  bound  ;   to  pro- 


210  READING    OF  TEE  SERVICE. 

claim  the  acceptable  year  of  the  Lord,  and  the  day  of  Ten- 
geance  of  our  God ;  to  comfort  all  that  mourn  ;  to  appoint 
unto  them  that  mourn  in  Zion,  to  give  unto  them  beauty 
for  ashes,  the  oil  of  joy  for  mourning,  the  garment  of  praise 
for  the  spirit  of  heaviness  ;  that  they  might  be  called  Trees 
of  righteousness,  The  planting  of  the  Loed,  that  he  might 
be  glorified." — Isaiah,  Ixi.,  1-3. 

d.  SiiUimity. — "I  was  in  the  Spirit  on  the  Lord's 
day,  and  heard  behind  me  a  great  voice,  as  of  a  trum- 
pet. Saying,  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  first  and  the 
last  :  and,  What  thou  seest,  write  in  a  book,  and  send  it 
unto  the  seven  churches  which  are  in  Asia  ;  unto  Ephesus, 
and  unto  Smyrna,  and  unto  Pergamos,  and  unto  Thyatira, 
and  unto  Sardis,  and  unto  Philadelphia,  and  unto  Lao- 
dicea.  And  I  turned  to  see  the  voice  that  spake  with  me. 
And  being  turned,  I  saw  seven  golden  candlesticks  ;  and 
in  the  midst  of  the  seven  candlesticks  one  like  unto  the 
Son  of  man,  clothed  with  a  garment  down  to  the  foot,  and 
girt  about  the  paps  with  a  golden  girdle.  His  head  and  his 
hairs  were  white  like  wool,  as  white  as  snow  ;  and  his  eyes 
were  as  a  flame  of  fire  ;  and  his  feet  like  unto  fine  brass,  as 
if  they  burned  in  a  furnace  ;  and  his  voice  as  the  sound  of 
many  waters.  And  he  had  in  his  right  hand  seven  stars  : 
and  out  of  his  mouth  went  a  sharp  twoedged  sword  :  and 
his  countenance  was  as  the  sun  shineth  in  his  strength. 
And  when  I  saw  him,  I  fell  at  his  feet  as  dead.  And  he  laid 
his  right  hand  upon  me,  saying  unto  me.  Fear  not ;  I  am 
the  first  and  the  last :  I  am  he  that  liveth,  and  was  dead  ; 
and  behold,  I  am  alive  for  evermore.  Amen  ;  and  have  the 
keys  of  hell  and  of  death.  Write  the  things  which  thou 
hast  seen,  and  the  things  which  are,  and  the  things  which 
shall  be  hereafter  ;  the  mystery  of  the  seven  stars  which 
thou  sawest  in  my  right  hand,  and  the  seven  golden  candle- 
sticks. The  seven  stars  are  the  angels  of  tlie  seven  churches  : 
and  the  seven  candlesticks  which  thou  sawest  are  the  seven 
churches." — Eev.  i.,  10-20. 


TEE  LESSONS.  211 

"  The  earth  trembled  and  quaked,  the  very  foundations 
also  of  the  hills  shook,  and  were  removed,  because  he  was 
wroth.  There  went  a  smoke  out  in  his  presence,  and  a 
consuming  fii'e  out  of  his  mouth,  so  that  coals  were  kin- 
dled at  it.  He  bowed  the  heavens  also,  and  came  down, 
and  it  was  dark  under  his  feet.  He  rode  upon  the  cheru- 
bim, and  did  fly ;  he  came  flying  upon  the  wings  of  the 
wind.  He  made  darkness  his  secret  place,  his  pavilion 
round  about  him  with  dark  water,  and  thick  clouds  to 
cover  him.  At  the  brightness  of  his  presence  his  clouds 
removed;  hailstones  and  coals  of  fire.  The  Lokd  also  thun- 
dered out  of  heaven,  and  the  Highest  gave  his  thunder ; 
hailstones  and  coals  of  fire.  He  sent  out  his  arrows  and 
scattered  them  ;  he  cast  forth  lightnings,  and  destroyed 
them.  The  springs  of  waters  were  seen,  and  the  founda- 
tions of  the  round  world  were  discovered  at  thy  chiding, 
0  Lord,  at  the  blasting  of  the  breath  of  thy  displeasure." 
— Ps.  xviii.,  7-15. 

e.  Denunciation. — "  Then  began  he  to  upbraid  the  cities 
wherein  most  of  his  mighty  works  were  done,  because  they 
repented  not  :  Woe  unto  thee,  Chorazin  !  woe  unto  thee, 
Bethsaida !  for  if  the  mighty  works,  which  were  done  in 
you,  had  been  done  in  Tyre  and  Sidon,  they  would  have 
repented  long  ago  in  sackcloth  and  ashes.  But  I  say  unto 
you.  It  shall  be  more  tolerable  for  Tyre  and  Sidon  at  the 
day  of  judgment,  than  for  you.  And  thou,  Capernaum, 
which  art  exalted  unto  heaven,  shalt  be  brought  down  to 
hell :  for  if  the  mighty  works,  which  have  been  done  in 
thee,  had  been  done  in  Sodom,  it  would  have  remained 
until  this  day.  But  I  say  unto  you.  That  it  shall  be  more 
tolerable  for  tlie  land  of  Sodom  in  the  day  of  judgment, 
than  for  thee."— St.  Matt,  xi.,  20-24. 

The  illustrations  might  be  extended  indefinitely,  accord- 
ing to  the  varied  conditions  of  feeling,  but  it  is  designed 
to  give  only  a  sufficient  number,  to  suggest  further  analysis 
and  practice  on  the  part  of  the  student  himself. 


212  READING    OF  THE  SERVICE. 

IV.  ExPEESsroj^r  as  suggested  by  the  Thought. 

Pointed  empliasis  is  required  to  enforce  the  meaning  of 
the  succeeding  passages: 

"  Take  heed  that  ye  do  not  your  alms  before  men,  to  be 
seen  of  them:  otherwise  ye  have  no  reward  of  your  Father 
which  is  in  heaven.  Therefore  when  thou  doest  thine  alms, 
do  not  sound  a  trumpet  before  thee,  as  the  hypoci-ites  do  in 
the  synagogues  and  in  the  streets,  that  they  may  have  glory 
of  men.  Verily  I  say  unto  you.  They  have  their  reward. 
But  when  thou  doest  alms,  let  not  thy  left  hand  know  what 
thy  right  hand  doetli :  that  thine  alms  may  be  in  secret : 
and  thy  Father  which  seeth  in  secret  himself  shall  reward 
thee  openly, 

"And  when  thou  prayest,  thou  shalt  not  be  as  the  hypo- 
crites are:  for  they  love  to  pray  standing  in  the  synagogues 
and  in  the  corners  of  the  streets,  that  they  may  be  seen  of 
men.  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  They  have  their  reward.  But 
thou,  when  thou  prayest,  enter  into  thy  closet,  and  when 
thou  hast  shut  thy  door,  pray  to  thy  Father  which  is  in 
secret ;  and  thy  Father  which  seeth  in  secret  shall  reward 
thee  openly.  But  when  ye  pray,  use  not  vain  repetitions, 
as  the  heathen  do  ;  for  they  think  that  they  shall  be  heard 
for  their  much  speaking.  Be  not  ye  therefore  like  unto 
them  ;  for  your  Father  knoweth  what  things  ye  have  need 
of,  before  ye  ask  him." — St.  Matt,  vi.,  1-8. 

''Judge  not,  that  ye  be  not  judged.  For  with  what 
judgment  ye  judge,  ye  shall  be  judged  :  and  with  what 
measure  ye  mete,  it  shall  be  measured  to  you  again.  And 
why  beholdest  thou  the  mote  that  is  in  thy  brother's  eye, 
but  considerest  not  the  beam  that  is  in  thine  own  eye  ?  Or 
how  wilt  thou  say  to  thy  brother.  Let  me  pull  out  the  mote 
out  of  thine  eye  ;  and,  behold,  a  beam  is  in  thine  own  eye  ? 
Thou  hypocrite,  first  cast  out  the  beam  out  of  thine  own 
eye  ;  and  then  shalt  thou  see  clearly  to  cast  out  the  mote  out 
of  thy  brother's  eye. 


TEE  LESSONS.  213 

"  Give  not  that  which  is  holy  unto  the  dogs,  neither 
cast  ye  your  pearls  before  swine,  lest  they  trample  them 
under  their  feet,  and  turn  again  and  rend  you. 

"Ask,  and  it  shall  be  given  you  ;  seek,  and  ye  shall 
find ;  knock,  and  it  shall  be  opened  unto  you  :  for  every 
one  that  askethreceiveth;  and  he  that  seeketli  findeth;  and 
to  him  that  knocketh  it  shall  be  opened.  Or  what  man  is 
there  of  you,  Avhom  if  his  sou  ask  bread,  will  he  give  him 
a  stone  ?     Or  if  he  ask  a  fish,  will  he  give  him  a  serpent  ? 

"If  ye  then,  being  evil,  know  how  to  give  good  gifts 
unto  your  children,  how  much  more  shall  your  rath.er 
which  is  in  heaven  give  good  things  to  them  that  ask  him  ? 
Therefore  all  things  whatsoever  ye  would  that  men  should 
do  to  you,  do  ye  even  so  to  them:  for  this  is  the  law  and  the 
proj^hets. 

"Enter  ye  in  at  the  straight  gate:  for  wide  is  the  gate, 
and  broad  is  the  way,  that  leadeth  to  destruction,  and  many 
there  be  which  go  in  thereat :  because  straight  is  the  gate, 
and  narrow  is  the  way,  which  leadeth  unto  life,  and  few 
there  be  that  find  it." — St.  Matt,  vii.,  1-14. 

"Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  He  that  entereth  not 
by  the  door  into  the  sheepfold,  but  climbeth  up  some  other 
way,  the  same  is  a  thief  and  a  robber.  But  he  that  enter- 
eth in  by  the  door  is  the  shepherd  of  the  sheep.  To  him 
the  porter  openeth ;  and  the  sheep  hear  his  voice  :  and  he 
calleth  his  own  sheep  by  name,  and  leadeth  them  out.  And 
when  he  putteth  forth  his  own  sheep,  he  goeth  before  them, 
and  the  sheep  follow  him  :  for  they  know  his  voice.  And 
a  stranger  will  they  not  follow,  but  will  flee  from  him  ;  for 
they  know  not  the  voice  of  strangers.  This  parable  spake 
Jesus  unto  them  ;  but  they  understood  not  what  things 
they  were  which  he  spake  unto  them.  Then  said  Jesus 
unto  them  again,  Yerily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  I  am  the 
door  of  the  sheep.  All  that  ever  came  before  me  are  thieves 
and  robbers  :  but  the  sheep  did  not  hear  them.  I  am  the 
door  :  by  me  if  any  man  enter  in,  he  shall  be  saved,  and 


214  READING   OF  TEE  SERVICE. 

shall  go  in  and  out,  and  find  pasture.  The  thief  cometh 
not,  but  for  to  steal,  and  to  kill,  and  to  destroy  :  I  am  come 
that  they  might  have  life,  and  that  they  might  have  it 
more  abundantly.  I  am  the  good  shepherd  :  the  good 
shepherd  giveth  his  life  for  the  sheep.  But  he  that  is  an 
hireling,  and  not  the  shepherd,  Avhose  own  the  sheep  are 
not,  seeth  the  wolf  coming,  and  leaveth  the  sheep,  and 
fieeth ;  and  the  wolf  catcheth  them,  and  scattereth  the 
sheep.  The  hireling  fleeth,  because  he  is  an  hireling,  and 
careth  not  for  the  sheep.  I  am  the  good  shepherd,  and 
know  my  sheep,  and  am  known  of  mine.  As  the  Father 
knoweth  me,  even  so  know  I  the  Father :  and  I  lay  down 
my  life  for  the  sheep.  And  other  sheep  I  have,  which  are 
not  of  this  fold  :  them  also  I  must  bring,  and  they  shall 
hear  my  voice  ;  and  there  shall  be  one  fold,  and  one  shep- 
herd."—St.  John,  X.,  1-16. 

"  I  am  the  true  vine,  and  my  Father  is  the  husband- 
man. Every  branch  in  me  that  beareth  not  fruit  he  tak- 
eth  away  :  and  every  branch  that  beareth  fruit,  he  purgeth 
it,  that  it  may  bring  forth  more  fruit.  Now  ye  are  clean 
through  the  word  which  I  have  spoken  unto  you.  Abide 
in  me,  and  I  in  you.  As  the  branch  cannot  bear  fruit  of 
itself,  except  it  abide  in  the  vine  ;  no  more  can  ye,  except 
ye  abide  in  me.  I  am  the  vine,  ye  are  the  branches.  He 
that  abideth  in  me,  and  I  in  him,  the  same  bringeth  forth 
much  fruit ;  for  without  me  ye  can  do  nothing.  If  a  man 
abide  not  in  me,  he  is  cast  forth  as  a  branch,  and  is  witli- 
ered ;  and  men  gather  them,  and  cast  them  into  the  fire, 
and  they  are  burned.  If  ye  abide  in  me,  and  my  words 
abide  in  you,  ye  shall  ask  what  ye  will,  and  it  shall  be  done 
unto  you.  Herein  is  my  Father  glorified,  that  ye  bear 
much  fruit ;  so  shall  ye  be  my  disciples.  As  the  Father 
hath  loved  me,  so  have  I  loved  you  :  continue  ye  in  my 
love.  If  ye  keep  my  commandments  ye  shall  abide  in  my 
love  ;  even  as  I  have  kept  my  Father's  commandments,  and 
abide  in  his  love.     These  things  have  I  spoken  unto  you, 


TEE  LESSONS.  215 

that  my  joy  might  remain  in  you,  and  that  your  joy  might 
be  full."— St.  John,  xv.,  1-11. 

"  For  Christ  is  the  end  of  the  law  for  righteousness  to 
every  one  that  believeth.  For  Moses  describeth  the  right- 
eousness which  is  of  the  law.  That  the  man  which  doeth 
those  things  shall  live  by  them.  But  the  righteousness 
which  is  of  faith  speaketh  on  this  wise,  Say  not  in  tliine 
heart,  Who  shall  ascend  into  heaven  ?  (that  is,  to  bring 
Christ  down  from  above  :)  or.  Who  shall  descend  into  the 
deep  ?  (that  is,  to  bring  up  Christ  again  from  the  dead. ) 
But  what  saith  it  ?  The  word  is  nigh  thee,  even  in  thy 
mouth,  and  in  thy  heart :  that  is,  the  word  of  faith,  which 
we  preach.  That  if  thou  shalt  confess  with  thy  mouth  the 
Lord  Jesus,  and  shalt  believe  in  thine  heart  that  God  hath 
raised  him  from  the  dead,  thou  shalt  be  saved.  For  with 
the  heart  man  believeth  unto  righteousness ;  and  with  the 
mouth  confession  is  made  unto  salvation.  For  the  Script- 
ure saith.  Whosoever  believeth  on  him  shall  not  be  ashamed. 
For  there  is  no  difference  between  the  Jew  and  the  Greek  : 
for  the  same  Lord  over  all  is  rich  unto  all  that  call  upon 
him.  For  whosoever  shall  call  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord 
shall  be  saved.  How  then  shall  they  call  on  him  in  whom 
they  have  not  believed  ?  and  how  shall  they  believe  in  him 
of  whom  they  have  not  heard  ?  and  how  shall  they  hear 
without  a  preacher  ?  And  how  shall  they  preach,  except 
they  be  sent  ?  as  it  is  written.  How  beautiful  are  the  feet 
of  them  that  preach  the  gospel  of  peace,  and  bring  glad 
tidings  of  good  things  !  But  they  have  not  all  obeyed  the 
gospel :  for  Esaias  saith,  Lord,  who  hath  believed  our  re- 
port ?  So  then  faith  cometh  by  hearing,  and  hearing  by 
the  word  of  God." — Rom.  x.,  4-17. 

V.  Expression  by  IisrFLECTiOiT  chiefly. 

a.  TJte  falling  inflection  for  irony. — "  He  heweth  him 
down  cedars,  and  taketh  the  cypress  and  the  oak,  which  he 
strengtheneth  for  himself  among  the  trees  of  the  forest :  lie 

10 


216  READING   OF  THE  SERVICE. 

planteth  an  ash,  and  the  rain  doth  nourish  it.  Then  shall 
it  be  for  a  man  to  burn  :  for  he  will  take  thereof,  and  warm 
himself ;  yea,  he  kindleth  it,  and  baketh  bread ;  yea,  he 
maketh  a  god,  and  worshij^peth  it ;  he  maketh  it  a  graven 
image,  and  falleth  down  thereto.  He  burneth  part  thereof 
in  the  fire  ;  with  part  thereof  he  eateth  flesh  ;  he  roasteth 
roast,  and  is  satisfied  :  yea,  he  warmeth  himself,  and  saith. 
Aha,  I  am  warm,  I  have  seen  the  fire  :  and  the  residue 
thereof  he  maketh  a  god,  even  his  graven  image  :  he  fall- 
eth down  unto  it,  and  worshippeth  it,  and  prayeth  unto  it, 
and  saith.  Deliver  me ;  for  thou  art  my  god." — Isaiah, 
xliv.,  14-17. 

h.  The  circumflex^ for  irony. — "And  it  came  to  pass  at 
noon,  that  Elijah  mocked  them,  and  said.  Cry  aloud  :  for 
he  is  a  god ;  either  he  is  talking,  or  he  is  pursuing,  or  he 
is  in  a  journey,  or  perad venture  he  sleepeth,  and  must  be 
awaked. " 

c.  The  monotone,  for  aive  and  sublimity. — ''  And  I  saw 
another  angel  ascending  from  the  east,  having  the  seal  of 
the  living  God  :  and  he  cried  with  a  loud  voice  to  the  four 
angels,  to  whom  it  was  given  to  hurt  the  earth  and  the 
sea,  saying,  Hurt  not  the  earth,  neither  the  sea,  nor  the 
trees,  till  we  have  sealed  the  servants  of  our  God  in  their 
foreheads.  And  I  heard  the  number  of  them  which  were 
sealed  ;  and  there  were  sealed  an  hundred  and  forty  and 
four  thousand,  of  all  the  tribes  of  the  children  of  Israel. 

'^  Of  the  tribe  of  Judah  were  sealed  twelve  thousand. 

"■  Of  the  tribe  of  Reuben  were  sealed  twelve  thousand. 

''Of  the  tribe  of  Gad  were  sealed  twelve  thousand. 

''  Of  the  tribe  of  Aser  were  sealed  twelve  thousand. 

*'  Of  the  tribe  of  Nephthali  were  sealed  twelve  thousand. 

"  Of  the  tribe  of  Manasses  were  sealed  twelve  thousand. 

"Of  the  tribe  of  Simeon  were  sealed  twelve  thousand. 

"  Of  the  tribe  of  Levi  were  sealed  twelve  thousand. 

*'  Of  the  tribe  of  Issachar  were  sealed  twelve  thousand. 

"  Of  the  tribe  of  Zabulon  were  sealed  twelve  thousand. 


TEE  LESSONS.  217 

''  Of  the  tribe  of  Joseph  were  sealed  twelve  thousand. 

"  Of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin  were  sealed  twelve  thousand. 

"After  this  I  beheld,  and  lo,  a  great  multitude,  which 
no  man  could  number,  of  all  nations,  and  kindreds,  and 
people,  and  tongues,  stood  before  the  throne,  and  before 
the  Lamb,  clothed  with  white  robes,  and  palms  in  their 
hands  ;  and  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying.  Salvation  to 
our  God  which  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb  ! 
And  all  the  angels  stood  round  about  the  throne,  and  about 
the  elders,  and  the  four  beasts,  and  fell  before  the  throne 
on  their  faces,  and  worshipped  God,  saying,  Amen  ;  Bless- 
ing, and  glory,  and  wisdom,  and  thanksgiving,  and  honour, 
and  power,  and  might,  be  unto  our  God  for  ever  and  ever  ! 
Amen." — Eev.  vii.,  2-12. 

"In  thoughts  from  the  visions  of  the  night,  when  deep 
sleep  falleth  on  men,  fear  came  upon  me,  and  trembling, 
which  made  all  my  bones  to  shake.  Then  a  spirit  passed 
before  my  face ;  the  hair  of  my  flesh  stood  up  :  it  stood 
still,  but  I  could  not  discern  the  form  thereof  :  an  image 
was  before  mine  eyes,  there  was  silence,  and  I  heard  a  voice, 
saying.  Shall  mortal  man  be  more  just  than  God  ?  shall  a 
man  be  more  pure  than  his  Maker  ?  " — Job,  iv.,  13-17. 

d.  Denunciation,  falling  inflection. — "  But  woe  unto  you, 
scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites  !  for  ye  shut  up  the  king- 
dom of  heaven  against  men  :  for  ye  neither  go  in  your- 
selves, neither  suffer  ye  them  that  are  entering  to  go  in. 
"Woe  unto  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites  !  for  ye  de- 
vour widows'  houses,  and  for  a  pretence  make  long  prayer  : 
therefore  ye  shall  receive  the-  greater  damnation.  Woe 
unto  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites  !  for  ye  compass 
sea  and  land  to  make  one  proselyte  ;  and  when  he  is  made, 
ye  make  him  twofold  more  the  child  of  hell  than  yourselves. 
Woe  unto  you,  ye  blind  guides,  which  say,  Whosoever  shall 
swear  by  the  temple,  it  is  notliing  ;  but  whosoever  shall 
swear  by  the  gold  of  the  temple,  he  is  a  debtor  !  Ye  fools 
and  blind  :  for  whether  is  greater,  the  gold,  or  the  temple 


218  READING    OF  TEE  SERVICE. 

that  sanctifieth  the  gold  ?  And,  Whosoeyer  shall  swear  by 
the  altar,  it  is  nothing  ;  but  whosoever  sweareth  by  the  gift 
that  is  upon  it,  he  is  guilty.  Ye  fools  and  blind  :  for 
whether  is  greater,  the  gift,  or  the  altar  that  sanctifieth  the 
gift  ?  Whoso  therefore  shall  swear  by  the  altar,  sweareth 
by  it,  and  by  all  things  thereon .  And  whoso  shall  swear 
by  the  temple,  sweareth  by  it,  and  by  him  that  dwelleth 
therein.  And  he  that  shall  swear  by  heaven,  sweareth  by 
the  throne  of  God,  and  by  him  that  sitteth  thereon .  Woe 
unto  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites  !  for  ye  pay  tithe 
of  mint  and  anise  and  cummin,  and  have  omitted  the  weight- 
ier matters  of  the  law,  judgment,  mercy,  and  faith  :  these 
ought  ye  to  have  done,  and  not  to  leave  the  other  undone. 
Ye  blind  guides,  which  strain  at  a  gnat,  and  swallow  a 
camel.  Woe  unto  you  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites  !  for 
ye  make  clean  the  outside  of  the  cup  and  of  the  platter,  but 
within  they  are  full  of  extortion  and  excess.  Thou  blind 
Pharisee,  cleanse  first  that  which  is  within  the  cup  and  plat- 
ter, that  the  outside  of  them  may  be  clean  also.  Woe  unto 
you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites  !  for  ye  are  like  unto 
whited  sepulchres,  which  indeed  appear  beautiful  outward, 
but  are  within  full  of  dead  men's  bones,  and  of  all  unclean- 
ness.  Even  so  ye  also  outwardly  appear  righteous  unto 
men,  but  within  ye  are  full  of  hypocrisy  and  iniquity. 
Woe  unto  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites  !  because 
ye  build  the  tombs  of  the  prophets,  and  garnish  the  sepul- 
chres of  the  righteous.  And  say.  If  we  had  been  in  the 
days  of  our  fathers,  we  would  not  have  been  partakers  with 
them  in  the  blood  of  the  prophets.  Wherefore  ye  be  wit- 
nesses unto  yourselves,  that  ye  are  the  children  of  them 
which  killed  the  prophets.  Fill  ye  up  then  the  measure  of 
your  fathers.  Ye  serpents,  ye  generation  of  vipers,  how  can 
ye  escape  the  damnation  of  hell  ?  " — St.  Matt,  xxiii.,  13-33. 
Further  divisions  under  each  of  the  above  heads  for 
expression  could  readily  be  made,  and  several  more  of  the 
elocutionary  topics  further  illustrated.     If,  however,   the 


THE  DECALOGUE.  219 

student  will  exercise  himself  sufficiently  upon  these,  with 
the  leading  effect  in  view  in  the  use  of  each  topic,  he  will 
have  matter  enough  for  study,  and  still  wider  fields  will 
open  themselves  before  him.  The  reader  may  rest  assured 
that  there  are  few  compensations  more  immediate  in  the 
return,  as  a  reward  for  close  study,  than  those  which  relate 
to  the  expressive  reading  of  the  Lessons.  And,  while  con- 
sciously imperfect  utterance  is  a  source  of  the  greatest  an- 
noyance, the  approval  of  the  ear  in  heartfelt  and  appro- 
priate expression  is  one  of  the  richest  sources  of  comfort 
which  attends  honest,  earnest,  intelligent  effort  to  read  im- 
pressively and  appropriately  the  Word  of  God. 

The  Decalogue. 

A  full  analysis  of  this  portion  of  the  Service  would 
properly  fill  many  pages.  Its  treatment  here  must  be  brief, 
and  simply  suggestive.  The  first  thing  to  be  insisted  upon 
is  that  the  Commandments  should  be  read  as  Command- 
ments of  God.  This  thought  gives  dignity  and  authority 
to  the  expression.  The  two  extremes  of  the  faulty  reading 
are  :  1.  The  feeble  effect  of  a  petition,  or  apathetic  request 
til  at  these  laws  should  be  observed,  setting  the  words  to  a 
minor  tune,  and  imparting  the  sound  of  complaint,  in 
place  of  command.  3.  The  pompous  authority  which  gives 
a  personal  effect,  as  though  the  reader  himself  had  enacted 
these  laws,  and  was  personally  requiring  obedience  to  them. 
Besides  these  there  are  many  other  errors,  such  as  undue 
rapidity,  suppression  of  the  force,  too  high  a  key,  pauses 
too  long  or  too  short,  etc.  The  utterance  should  be  de- 
liberately and  expressively  emphatic,  so  as  to  leave  no 
room  in  the  mind  of  the  hearer  for  misinterpretation  or 
doubt  as  to  the  meaning  and  application  of  the  law.  The 
voice  of  authority  must  be  sustained  throughout.  The 
reading  should  be  expression  of  tlie  Law,  from  Avhich  there 
is  no  appeal,  mandatory  and  absolute,  not  a  narrative,  not 
the  feeble  expression  of  a  desire,  but  the  firm  utterance  of 


220  BEADING   OF  THE  SERVICE. 

unyielding  and  inexorable  law — "Thou  slialt,"  and  ''Thou 
shalt  not." 

It  is  well  to  observe  the  change  in  the  character  of  the 
utterance  as  the  reader  passes  from  the  voice  of  instruction 
or  prayer  to  the  voice  of  command.  The  use  of  it  in  this 
part  of  the  Service  calls  for  a  different  expression  from  that 
found  in  its  narrative  form,  when  read  as  a  Lesson,  and  it 
would  be  well  for  every  reader  of  the  Commandments  to 
recall,  before  he  reads  them,  the  awful  scene  on  Sinai,  and 
the  majesty  and  the  mystery  attendant  upon  the  giving  of 
the  Law. 

"And  it  came  to  joass  on  the  third  day  in  the  morning, 
that  there  were  thunders  and  lightnings,  and  a  thick  cloud 
upon  the  mount,  and  the  voice  of  the  trumpet  exceeding 
loud  ;  so  that  all  the  people  that  was  in  the  camp  trembled. 
And  Moses  brought  forth  the  peoj^le  out  of  the  camp  to 
meet  with  God ;  and  they  stood  at  the  nether  part  of  the 
mount.  And  mount  Sinai  was  altogether  on  a  smoke,  be- 
cause the  Lord  descended  u]}on  it  in  fire  :  and  the  smoke 
thereof  ascended  as  the  smoke  of  a  furnace,  and  the  whole 
mount  quaked  greatly.  And  when  the  voice  of  the  trumpet 
sounded  long,  and  waxed  louder  and  louder,  Moses  spake, 
and  God  answered  him  by  a  voice." — Deut.  xix.,  16-19. 

With  such  a  scene  in  mind,  and  the  preceding  prayer 
for  purity  of  heart,  before  Ilim  Who  is  of  purer  eyes  than 
to  behold  iniquity,  and  unto  Whom  all  hearts  are  open, 
let  the  reader  consider  the  dignity,  character,  and  author- 
ity of  the  introduction,  "  God  spake  these  words  and  said." 
Anything  less  than  a  deliberate,  firm,  and  emiDhatic  utter- 
ance of  the  preface  is  not  a  fitting  preparation  for  the  read- 
ing of  the  entire  Law. 

First  Commandment. — The  deliberation  is  to  be  fully 
marked,  the  authority  more  emphatically  expressed  than  in 
the  preface. 

"  I  am  the  Lord  thy  God  :  Thou  shalt  have  none  other 
gods  but  me." 


TEE  DECALOGUE.  221 

Second  Commandment. — "Thou  shalt  not — "  the  nega- 
tive in  the  Commandments  throughout  takes  a  secondary 
emphasis.  No  one  would  read,  "  Ye  cdhnvot  serve  God  and 
Mammon,"  except  in  contradiction.  Godtiard,  in  his 
"  Eeading  of  the  Liturgy,"  changes  the  authorized  punc- 
tuation of  the  period,  and  gives  a  comma  after  the  phrase 
"  under  the  earth,"  to  avoid  the  prohibition  of  all  forms  of 
graven  images.  But  surely  there  is  little  danger  of  imper- 
iling the  noble  art  of  sculpture  by  the  stolid,  literal  render- 
ing, when  the  application  is  so  obvious.  Following  Sheri- 
dan, Bishop  Henshaw,  Goddard,  and  others,  it  is  correct  to 
make  it  ajiparent  that  the  sins  of  the  fathers  are  visited 
unto  the  third  or  fourth  generation  of  their  children,  which 
2)laces  the  pause  after  "generation."  With  deliberate  em- 
phasis uj^on  "children"  and  "hate,"  we  are  the  better 
prepared  to  give  the  rhythmical  emphasis  of  antithesis  upon 
"thousands,"  and  "  love  me  and  keej)  my  commandments." 
The  ex23ressive  emphasis  of  the  lamented  Dr.  Francis 
Hawks  on  the  word  "thousands"  was  peculiarly  suggestive 
of  the  infinitude  of  the  Divine  mercy. 

"  Thou  shalt  not  make  to  thyself  any  graven  image,  nor 
the  likeness  of  any  thing  that  is  in  heaven  above,  or  in  the 
earth  beneath,  or  in  the  water  under  the  earth.  Thou 
shalt  not  bow  down  to  them,  nor  worship  them  :  For  I  the 
Lord  thy  God  am  a  jealous  God  ;  and  vioit  the  sins  of  the 
fathers  upon  the  children,  unto  the  third  and  fourth  genera- 
tion of  them  that  hate  me  ;  and  show  mercy  unto  thousands 
in  them  that  love  me,  and  keep  my  commandments." 

Third  Commandment. — The  prohibition  should  be  pur- 
posely emphatic,  and  the  warning  so  solemnly  and  threat- 
eningly given,  that  the  profane  swearer  may  indeed  feel 
tliat  he  is  not  held  guiltless  before  his  God.  Strong  em- 
phasis and  full  pause  at  "guiltless"  enforce  the  expression. 

"Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name  of  the  Lord  thy  God  in 
vain  :  For  the  Lord  will  not  hold  him  guiltless  that  taketh 
his  name  in  vain." 


222  READING    OF  TEE  SERVICE. 

Fourth  Commandment. — Emphasize  "remember,"  and 
pause  after  it,  making  it  monitory.  The  emphatic  word  in 
the  first  sentence  is  not  "day,"  but  "Sabbath-day."  The 
falling  inflection  upon  every  clause  gives  the  best  expression 
of  prohibition  and  command.  The  pause  after  "sea"  con- 
nects it  properly  with  "heaven  and  earth."  A  common 
error  is  to  unite  "sea"  directly  with  "and  all  that  in  them 
is."  Full  emphasis  should  be*  given  upon  "rested";  also 
upon  "blessed  and  hallowed."  The  sounding  of  the  sylla- 
ble "-ed"in  "blessed  and  hallowed"  destroys  the  gram- 
matical character,  making  the  verbs  take  the  construction 
of  adjectives. 

"  Remember  that  thou  keep  holy  the  Sabbath-day.  Six 
days  shalt  thou  labour,  and  do  all  that  thou  hast  to  do  ;  but 
the  seventh  day  is  the  Sabbath  of  the  Lord  thy  God.  In 
it  thou  shalt  do  no  manner  of  work  ;  thou,  and  thy  son, 
and  thy  daughter,  thy  man-servant,  and  thy  maid-servant, 
thy  cattle,  and  the  stranger  that  is  within  thy  gates.  For 
in  six  days  the  Lord  made  heaven  and  earth,  the  sea,  and 
all  that  in  them  is,  and  rested  the  seventh  day ;  wherefore 
the  Lord  blessed  the  seventh  day  and  hallowed  it." 

Mfth  Commandment. — "  Honour,"  "father,"  and  "mo- 
ther "  are  especially  emphatic.  The  jjause  and  emj^hasis  arc 
upon  "long"  rather  than  "land." 

"Honour  thy  father  and  thy  mother;  that  thy  days 
may  be  long  in  the  land  which  the  Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee." 

Sixth,  Seventh,  and  Eighth  Commandments. — A  very 
effective  reader  of  the  Commandments  is  said  to  make  mur- 
der horrible,  adultery  vile,  and  theft  mean,  by  the  interpre- 
tation of  his  reading.  This  would  be  suggestive  as  a  study, 
but  no  mere  imitation  should  be  attempted,  unless  the  read- 
er is  sure  that  his  utterance  imparts  the  same  effect.  These 
three  words  are  primarily  emphatic,  and  the  emphasis  upon 
the  negative  should  be  secondary.  In  the  Seventh  Com- 
mandment the  pause  is  after  " not "  rather  than  " commit." 

*'  Thou  shalt  do  no  murder, '^^ 


THE  SENTEXCES  OF  THE   OFFERTORY.       223 

"  Thou  shalt  not  commit  adultery." 

**Thou  shalt  not  steal." 

Ninth  Commandment. — "False  witness "  receives  the 
emphasis  on  both  words,  with  a  pause  following. 

'•'Thou  shalt  not  he^r false  witness  \  against  thy  neigh- 
bour." 

Tenth  Commandme7it. — The  falling  slide,  with  emphasis 
upon  each  clause,  makes  the  expression  prohibitory.  Em- 
phasis should  be  placed  upon  "anything"  and  "his." 

"  Thou  shalt  not  covet  thy  neighbour's  house,  thou  shalt 
not  covet  thy  neighbour's  wife,  nor  his  servant,  nor  his 
maid,  nor  his  ox,  nor  his  ass,  nor  anytliinrj  that  is  his." 

Kow,  if  the  reading  has  given  interpretation  to  the  un- 
yielding rigor  and  the  inexorable  authority  of  the  law  of 
works,  we  are  prepared  for  the  comforting  and  sympathetic 
instructions  of  the  law  of  love.  The  fullness  of  the  voice 
of  authority  is  chastened  and  subdued  by  the  gentler  attri- 
bute which  is  described.  Especial  meaning  and  emphasis 
should  be  given  upon  the  clause,  "as  thyself." 

"Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart, 
and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind  :  This  is  the 
first  and  great  commandment.  And  the  second  is  like  unto 
it ;  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbour  as  thyself.  On  these 
two  commandments  hang  all  the  law  and  the  prophets." 

The  Seintences  of  the  Oefektort. 

These  passages  are  very  useful  as  studies  of  expression 
in  the  effort  to  awaken  good  impulses  and  generosity  in 
almsgiving.  If  they  are  read  as  so  many  instructive  ex- 
hortations, and  with  the  actual  purpose  of  moving  Chris- 
tian people  to  their  duty,  it  will  give  a  clearness,  an  em- 
phasis, and  an  effect,  not  to  be  secured  equally  well  by  any 
other  process. 

A  general  summary  of  the  varying  character  of  the  pas- 
sages would  classify  them  as  :  1,  injunctions  ;  2,  explanatory 
declarations ;  3,  oratorical  interrogations  implying  exhorta- 


224  BEABINO   OF  TEE  SERVICE. 

tion  ;    4,   comforting  promises,  encouraging  the  duty  of 
almsgiving  ;  and  5,  example  inciting  to  liberality. 

All  of  these  divisions  would  vary  somewhat  in  expres- 
sion, one  from  another. 

1.  The  Injunctions. — These  passages  have  more  of  the 
preceptive  and  pronounced  utterance  of  authoritative  di- 
rection or  command,  softened  by  the  moral  purpose  in  view 
of  jDcrsuading  men  to  be  merciful  after  their  power. 

"  Let  your  light  so  shine  before  men,  that  they  may 
see  your  good  works,  and  glorify  your  Father,  which  is  in 
heaven."— St.  Matt,  v.,  16. 

"  Lay  not  up  for  yourselves  treasures  upon  earth  ;  where 
moth  and  rust  doth  corrupt,  and  where  thieves  break 
through  and  steal  :  but  lay  up  for  yourselves  treasures  in 
heaven  ;  where  neither  moth  nor  rust  doth  corrupt,  and 
where  thieves  do  not  break  through  nor  steal. " — St.  Matt, 
vi.,  19,  20. 

*'  Whatsoever  ye  would  that  men  should  do  to  you,  even 
so  do  to  them  :  for  this  is  the  Law  and  the  Prophets." — 
St.  Matt,  vii.,  12. 

"  Let  him  that  is  taught  in  the  Word  minister  unto  him 
that  teacheth,  in  all  good  things.  Be  not  deceived,  God 
is  not  mocked  :  for  whatsoever  a  man  soweth  that  shall  he 
reap." — Gal.  vi,,  6,  7. 

**  While  we  have  time,  let  us  do  good  unto  all  men  ;  and 
especially  unto  them  that  are  of  the  household  of  faith. " — 
Gal.  vi.,  10. 

*'  Charge  them  who  are  rich  in  this  world,  that  they  be 
ready  to  give,  and  glad  to  distribute  ;  laying  up  in  store 
for  themselves  a  good  foundation  against  the  time  to  come, 
that  they  may  attain  eternal  life." — I.  Tim.  vi.,  17-19. 

''  To  do  good,  and  to  distribute,  forget  not ;  for  with 
such  sacrifices  God  is  well  pleased." — Heb.  xiii.,  16. 

''  Give  alms  of  thy  goods,  and  never  turn  thy  face  from 
any  poor  man  ;  and  then  the  face  of  the  Lord  shall  not 
be  turned  away  from  thee." — Tobit,  iv.,  7. 


THE  SENTENCES  OF  THE  OFFERTORY.       225 

"  Be  merciful  after  thy  power.  If  thou  hast  much,  give 
plenteously  ;  if  thou  hast  little,  do  thy  diligence  gladly  to 
give  of  that  little  :  for  so  gatherest  thou  thyself  a  good  re- 
ward in  the  day  of  necessity." — Tobit,  iv.,  8,  9. 

2.  Explanatory  Declarations. — These  portions  have  the 
effect  of  both  explanations  and  statements.  They  are  less 
emphatic  than  the  direct  injunctions. 

"■  Not  every  one  that  saith  unto  me,  Lord,  Lord,  shall 
enter  into  the  Kingdom  of  heaven  ;  but  he  that  doeth  the 
will  of  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven." — St.  Matt,  vii., 

"  lie  that  sowetli  little,  shall  reap  little  ;  and  he  that 
sowetli  jjlenteously,  shall  reap  plenteously.  Let  every  man 
do  according  as  he  is  disposed  in  his  heart,  not  grudging- 
ly, or  of  necessity ;  for  God  loveth  a  cheerful  giver. — II. 
Cor.  ix.,  6,  7. 

"  Godliness  is  great  riches,  if  a  man  be  content  with  that 
he  hath  :  for  we  brought  nothing  into  this  world,  neither 
may  we  carry  anything  out." — I.  Tim.  vi.,  6,  7. 

"  God  is  not  unrighteous,  that  he  will  forget  your  works, 
and  labor  that  proceedeth  of  love  ;  which  love  ye  have 
showed  for  his  Name's  sake,  who  have  ministered  unto  the 
saints,  and  yet  do  minister." — Heb.  vi.,  10. 

3.  Oratorical  Interrogation.  — The  interrogative  appeal  is 
equivalent  to  emphatic  assertion.  In  the  first  of  the  sen- 
tences below  the  inquiry  is  given  in  the  form  of  reasoning 
by  parallel  instances  ;  in  the  second,  it  is  reasoning  based 
on  a  principle  of  justice  ;  in  the  third,  it  is  reasoning  from 
example,  in  the  interrogative  form,  with  the  statement, 
"even  so  hath  the  Lord  ordained,"  etc.  ;  and  in  the 
fourth,  affectionate  expostulation. 

"  Who  goeth  a  warfare  at  any  time  at  his  own  cost  ? 
Who  planteth  a  vineyard,  and  eateth  not  of  the  fruit  there- 
of ?  or  who  feedeth  a  flock,  and  eateth  not  of  the  milk  of 
the  flock  ?"— L  Cor.  ix.,  7. 

**  If  we  have  sown  unto  you  spiritual  things,  is  it  a  great 


226  READmO   OF  TEB  SERVICE. 

matter  if  we  shall  reap  your  worldly  things  ? " — I.  Cor. 
ix.,  11. 

"  Do  ye  not  know,  that  they  who  minister  about  holy 
things,  live  of  the  sacrifice  ;  and  they  who  wait  at  the  altar, 
are  partakers  with  the  altar  ?  Even  so  hath  the  Lord  also 
ordained,  that  they  who  preach  the  Gos2:)el,  should  live  of 
the  Gospel."— I.  Cor.  ix.,  13,  14. 

"  Whoso  hath  this  world's  good,  and  seeth  his  brother 
have  need,  and  shutteth  up  his  compassion  from  him,  how 
dwelleth  the  love  of  God  in  him  ?" — St.  John,  iii.,  17. 

4.  Comforting  Promises  encouragi?ig  to  Duty. — More 
of  gentleness,  and  consequently  more  of  sympathy,  in  ex- 
pression, characterize  the  two  sentences  following  : 

"  He  that  hath  pity  upon  the  poor,  lendeth  unto  the 
Lord  :  and  look,  what  he  layeth  out,  it  shall  be  paid  him 
again." — Pro  v.  xix.,  17. 

"  Blessed  be  the  man  that  provide th  for  the  sick  and 
needy  :  the  Lord  shall  deliver  him  in  the  time  of  trouble." 
— Psalm  xli.,  1. 

5.  Example  iyiciting  to  Liberality. — The  particulars  of 
the  act  described  below,  to  be  impressive,  should  be  deliv- 
ered with  marked  emphasis  : 

"Zaccheus  stood  forth,  and  said  unto  the  Lord,  Be- 
hold, Lord,  the  half  of  my  goods  I  give  to  the  poor  ;  and 
if  I  have  done  any  wrong  to  any  man,  I  restore  fourfold." 
— St.  Luke,  xix.,  8. 

If  the  sentences  are  to  be  used  instructively,  and  as  in- 
citements to  Christian  duty,  especially  when  that  duty  re- 
lates to  our  offerings  to  the  Lord,  as  a  part  of  the  most 
solemn  act  of  our  religious  offices,  every  expression  should 
bear  some  proportionate  character  to  the  solemnity  of  the 
duty.  In  other  words,  the  correct  reading  of  these  sen- 
tences should  actually  so  instruct  and  exhort  the  people  to 
almsgiving  that  they  would  be  thus  provoked  to  love  and 
good  works. 

As  it  is  not  the  intention  to  attempt  an  analysis,  nor 


THE  BURIAL  SERVICE.  227 

suggest  the  character,  of  the  reading  of  all  portions  of  the 
Liturgy,  it  may  be  sufficient  to  state  that,  after  the  prayer 
for  the  Church  Militant,  the  Service  following,  in  all  its 
varied  divisions,  is  marked  by  greater  solemnity  and  rever- 
ence than  any  of  the  other  Services  ;  and,  therefore,  to  be 
read  with  expressive  propriety,  should  receive  the  emphasis 
of  these  characteristics. 

The  Bueial  Service. 

This  is  the  one  Service,  above  all  others,  which,  out  ol 
the  Church  and  within  it,  is  acknowledged  to  be  as  neariy 
perfect  as  any  humanly  ordered  Service  can  be.  The  read- 
ing of  it,  therefore,  should  be  with  the  laudable  purpose  of 
making  it  not  merely  appropriate,  in  an  expression  free 
from  marked  defects,  but  also  to  interpret  it  according  to 
the  most  impressive  effect. 

The  sub-bass,  so  to  speak,  of  the  characteristic  reading 
of  the  Service  is  the  depth  of  solemnity  pervading  every 
portion  of  it.  Even  in  the  triumphant  part  of  the  Apos- 
tle's argument,  in  the  Lesson,  the  majesty  of  the  solemnity 
is  still  heard.  And  with  this  feeling  we  find  accompany- 
ing the  tenderest  sympathy  for  the  bereaved,  and  the 
kindly  prompting  of  the  heart  which  yearns  to  give  the  oil 
of  joy  for  mourning,  and  the  garment  of  praise  for  the 
spirit  of  heaviness.  A  single  sound  of  the  voice,  out  of 
keeping  with  these  characteristics  in  the  Service,  is  like  the 
utterance  of  a  thoughtless  word,  or  the  doing  of  some  in- 
congruous act,  which  shows  the  heart  out  of  sympathy  with 
the  occasion.  There  is  no  Service  where  the  voice  of  the 
pastor  may  be  made  to  convince  his  people  that  he,  with 
St.  Paul,  has  them  in  his  heart,  and  there  is  no  occasion 
when  unsympathetic,  unfeeling,  and  inappropriate  reading 
can  estrange  so  completely  the  interest  and  affection  of 
parishioners. 

The  Sentences. — The  first  is  designed  to  inspire  faith  in 
the  One  mighty  to  save.     Any  utterance  which  does  not 


228  READING    OF  THE  SERVICE. 

imply  the  profouudest  solemnity  and  tenderness  of  feeling, 
or  fails  to  suggest  that  we  may  rest  securely  in  our  faith  in 
Him  who  is  the"  Resurrection  and  the  Life,  does  not  rightly 
interpret  this  opening  passage  in  the  Burial  Service.  We 
should  endeavor  to  utter  them  as  the  very  words  of  the 
great  Conqueror  of  Death,  employed  by  the  Church  for  the 
instruction  and  comfort  of  bereaved  hearts  in  the  trying 
hour  of  the  burial  of  their  dead.  All  hurried,  unfeeling, 
and  careless  utterance  shocks  the  ear,  and  does  not  suggest 
the  sustaining  comforts  of  the  Christian  faith  in  the  thought 
of  the  Saviour's  triumph. 

"  I  am  the  resurrection  and  the  life,  saith  the  Lord  :  he 
that  believeth  in  me,  though  he  were  dead,  yet  shall  he 
live  :  and  whosoever  liveth  and  believeth  in  me,  shall  never 
die."— St.  John,  xi.,  25,  26. 

Tlie  Second  Sentence. — As  in  the  first  Sentence  it  is  the 
words  of  Christ  we  hear,  encouraging  faith,  so  in  the  second 
is  heard  the  response.  The  language  seems  to  apply  to  the 
assured  belief  of  the  departed.  Deliberate  emphasis,  with 
confident,  yet  tranquil,  trust,  will  give  the  key-note  to  the 
reading. 

"I  know  that  my  Redeemer  liveth,  and  that  he  shall 
stand  at  the  latter  day  upon  the  earth.  And  though  after 
my  skin  worms  destroy  this  body,  yet  in  my  flesh  shall  I 
see  God  :  whom  I  shall  see  for  myself,  and  mine  eyes  shall 
behold,  and  not  another." — Job,  xix.,  25-27. 

The  Third  Sentence. — With  more  subdued  voice  now 
follows  the  utterance  of  the  reverential  submission  and 
resignation  of  the  bereaved.  Hurried  utterance  and  negli- 
gent expression  do  not  comport  with  the  thoughtfulness  of 
the  quiet  trust  which  acknowledges  the  Divine  mercy  and 
wisdom  in  ways  past  finding  out. 

*' We  brought  nothing  into  this  world,  and  it  is  certain 
we  can  carry  nothing  out.  The  Lord  gave,  and  the  Lord 
hath  taken  away  ;  blessed  be  the  Name  of  the  Lord. " — I. 
Tim.  vi.,  7 ;  Job,  i.,  21. 


THE  BURIAL  SERVICE.  229 

The  First  Anthem. — If  this  is  read,  the  deepest  solem- 
nity of  feeling  and  sustained  rhythmical  utterance,  with  de- 
liberately slow  movement,  low  pitch  of  Yoice,  and  strongly 
marked  emphasis,  should  characterize  the  reading. 

''Lord,  let  me  know  my  end,  and  the  number  of  my 
days  ;  that  I  may  be  certified  how  long  I  have  to  live. 

"Behold,  thou  hast  made  my  days  as  it  were  a  span 
long ;  and  mine  age  is  even  as  nothing  in  respect  of  thee ; 
and  verily  every  man  living  is  altogether  vanity. 

"For  man  walketh  in  a  vain  shadow,  and  disquieteth 
himself  in  vain  ;  he  heapeth  iip  riches,  and  cannot  tell 
who  shall  gather  them. 

"And  now.  Lord,  what  is  my  hoj^e  ?  Truly  my  hope 
is  even  in  thee. 

"  Deliver  me  from  all  mine  offences  ;  and  make  me  not 
a  rebuke  unto  the  foolish. 

"When  thou  with  rebukes  dost  chasten  man  for  sin, 
thou  makest  his  beauty  to  consume  away,  like  as  it  were  a 
moth  fretting  a  garment  :  every  man  therefore  is  but  vanity. 

"  Hear  my  prayer,  0  Lord,  and  with  thine  ears  consider 
my  calling  :  Hold  not  thy  peace  at  my  tears. 

"  For  I  am  a  stranger  with  thee,  and  a  sojourner  ;  as  all 
my  fathers  were. 

"  0  spare  me  a  little,  that  I  may  recover  my  strength  ; 
before  I  go  hence,  and  be  no  more  seen. 

"  Lord,  thou  hast  been  our  refuge,  from  one  generation 
to  another. 

"Before  the  mountains  were  brought  forth  or  ever  the 
earth  and  the  world  were  made,  thou  art  God  from  ever- 
lasting, and  world  without  end. 

"Thou  turnest  man  to  destruction  ;  again  thou  sayest. 
Come  again,  ye  children  of  men. 

"  For  a  thousand  years  in  thy  sight  are  but  as  yester- 
day ;  seeing  that  is  past  as  a  watch  in  the  night. 

"As  soon  as  thou  scatterest  them,  they  are  even  as 
a  sleep ;  and  fade  away  suddenly  like  the  grass. 


230  READmO   OF  TEE  SER  VICE. 

"In  the  morning  it  is  green,  and  groweth  up  ;  but  in 
the  evening  it  is  cut  down,  dried  up,  and  withered. 

"For  we  consume  away  in  thy  displeasure;  and  are 
afraid  at  thy  wrathful  indignation. 

"  Thou  hast  set  our  misdeeds  before  thee  ;  and  our  se- 
cret sins  in  the  light  of  thy  countenance. 

"For  when  thou  art  angry,  all  our  days  are  gone: 
We  bring  our  years  to  an  end,  as  it  were  a  tale  that  is 
told. 

"The  days  of  our  age  are  threescore  years  and  ten  ;  and 
though  men  be  so  strong  tiiat  they  come  to  fourscore  years, 
yet  is  their  strength  then  but  labour  and  sorrow  ;  so  soon 
passeth  it  away,  and  we  are  gone. 

"  So  teach  us  to  number  our  days,  that  we  may  apply 
our  hearts  unto  wisdom. 

"  Glory  be  to  the  Father,  and  to  the  Son,  and  to  the 
Holy  Ghost ; 

"  As  it  was  in  the  beginning,  is  now,  and  ever  shall  be, 
world  without  end.     Amen." 

The  Lesson  should  be  read  with  the  intelligent  purpose 
of  really  instructing  and  comforting  bereaved  hearts  with 
the  consolations  of  the  Christian  faith.  It  should  be  read 
in  fullest  and  tenderest  sympathy  with  the  mourners,  and 
yet  in  full  sympathy  also  with  the  majesty,  glory,  and  tri- 
umph of  the  Eesurrection.  It  is  to  be  remembered  that  it 
is  a  Lesson,  and  therefore  the  voice  of  instruction  is  heard  ; 
but  the  intellectual  rendering  should  not,  in  the  least,  in- 
terfere with  the  solemnity,  the  reverence,  the  sympathy, 
the  majesty,  and  the  triumph,  which  render  the  whole 
passage  so  remarkably  adapted  to  its  use  in  this  Service.  If 
the  voice  be  flippant  here,  in  its  effect,  it  utterly  destroys 
the  character  of  the  inspired  passage  in  its  instructive  use 
for  this  place.  And  again,  if  the  utterance  be  too  heavily 
weighted  in  depth  and  volume  of  voice,  while  the  mystery 
and  the  awe  may  find  expression,  the  tenderness  and  the 
triumph  are  lost.     The  italicized  and  capitalized  portions 


TEE  BURIAL  SERVICE.  231 

below  are  used  simply  to  suggest  where  the  expressive,  inter- 
pretative emphasis  falls. 

*'  Now  is  Christ  risen  from  the  dead,  and  become  the 
first-fruits  of  them  that  slept.  For  since  by  man  came 
death,  by  man  came  also  the  resurrection  of  the  dead.  For 
as  iu  Adam  all  die,  even  so  in  Christ  shall  all  be  made  alive. 
But  every  man  in  his  own  order  :  Christ  the  first-fruits  ; 
afterward  tliey  that  are  Christ's,  at  his  coming.  Then 
Cometh  the  end,  when  he  shall  have  delivered  up  the  king- 
dom to  God,  even  the  Father  ;  when  he  shall  have  put 
down  all  rule,  and  all  authority,  and  power.  For  he  must 
reign,  till  he  hath  put  all  enemies  under  his  feet.  The  last 
enemy  that  shall  be  destroyed  is  death.  For  he  hath  put 
all  things  under  his  feet.  But  when  he  saith,  all  things  are 
put  under  him,  it  is  manifest  that  he  is  excepted,  which  did 
put  all  things  under  him.  And  when  all  things  shall  be 
subdued  unto  him,  then  shall  the  Son  also  himself  be  subject 
unto  Him  that  put  all  things  under  him,  that  God  may  be 
all  in  all.  Else  what  shall  they  do  which  are  baptized  for 
the  dead,  if  the  dead  rise  not  at  all  ?  Why  are  they  then 
baptized  for  the  dead  ?  and  why  stand  we  in  jeopardy  every 
hour  ?  I  protest  by  your  rejoicing,  which  I  have  in  Christ 
Jesus  our  Lord,  I  die  daily.  If  after  the  manner  of  men  I 
have  fought  with  beasts  at  Ephesus,  what  advantageth  it 
me,  if  the  dead  rise  not  ?  let  us  eat  and  drink,  for  to-mor- 
row we  die.  Be  not  deceived:  evil  communications  corrupt 
good  manners.  Awake  to  righteousness,  and  sin  not ;  for 
some  have  not  the  knowledge  of  God.  I  speak  this  to  your 
shame.  But  some  man  will  say,  How  are  the  dead  raised 
up  ?  and  with  what  body  do  they  come  ?  Thou  fool !  that 
which  thou  sowest  is  not  quickened,  except  it  die.  And 
that  which  thou  soivest,  thou  soAvcst  not  that  body  that  shall 
be,  but  bare  grain,  it  may  chance  of  wheat,  or  of  some  other 
grain.  But  God  giveth  it  a  body  as  it  hatli  pleased  him, 
and  to  every  seed  his  own  body.  All  flesh  is  not  the 
same  flesh ;  but  there  is  one  kind  of  flesh  of  men,  another 


232  READING   OF  THE  SERVICE. 

flesh  of  beasts,  another  of  fishes,  and  another  of  birds. 
There  are  also  celestial  bodies,  and  bodies  terrestrial ;  but 
the  glory  of  the  celestial  is  one,  and  the  glory  of  the  terres- 
trial is  another.  There  is  one  glory  of  tlie  sun,  and  an- 
other glory  of  the  moon,  and  another  glory  of  the  stars  ; 
for  one  star  diifereth  from  another  star  in  glory.  So  also 
is  the  resurrection  of  the  dead.  It  is  sotvn  i7i  corruption ; 
IT  IS  KAisED  lis  iisrcoERUPTioN  :  it  is  sown  in  dishonour;  it 
IS  RAISED  IN  GLORY  :  it  IS  sown  in  weakness  ;  it  is  raised 
12^  POWER  :  it  is  sown  a  natural  body ;  it  is  raised  a 
SPIRITUAL  BODY.  There  is  a  natural  body,  and  there  is  a 
spiritual  body.  And  so  it  is  written,  The  first  man  Adam 
was  made  a  living  soul ;  the  last  Adam  was  made  a  quick- 
ening spirit.  Howbeit,  that  was  not  first  which  is  spiritual, 
but  that  which  is  natural ;  and  afterward  that  which  is 
spiritual.  The  first  man  is  of  the  earth,  earthy  :  the  sec- 
ond man  is  the  Lord  from  heaven.  As  is  the  earthy,  such 
are  they  that  are  earthy  :  and  as  is  the  heavenly,  such  are 
they  also  that  are  heavenly.  And  as  we  have  borne  the 
image  of  the  earthy,  we  shall  also  bear  the  image  of  the 
heavenly.  Now  this  I  say,  brethren,  that  flesh  and  blood  can- 
not inherit  the  kingdom  of  God  ;  neither  doth  corrujition  in- 
herit incorruption.  Behold,  I  sliow  you  a  mystery :  we  shall 
not  all  sleep,  but  we  shall  all  be  changed,  in  a  moment,  in 
the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  at  the  last  trump  :  for  the  trumpet 
shall  sound,  and  the  dead  shall  be  raised  incorruptible,  and 
loe  shall  be  changed.  For  this  corruptible  must  put  on  in- 
corruption, and  this  mortal  must  put  on  immortality.  So 
when  this  corruptible  shall  have  put  on  incorruption,  and 
this  mortal  shall  have  ^ui  on.  immortality ;  then  shall  be 
brought  to  pass  the  saying  that  is  written.  Death  is  swal- 
lowed up  in  victory.  0  death,  v^here  is  thy  stiistg  ? 
0  GRAVE,  WHERE  IS  THY  VICTORY  ?  The  sting  of  death  is 
sin ;  and  the  strength  of  sin  is  the  Law.  But  thanks  be 
to  God,  which  giveth  us  the  victory  through  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.     Therefore,  my  beloved  brethren,  be  ye  steadfast. 


TEE  BURIAL  SERVICE.  033 

unmoTable,  always  abounding  in  the  work  of  the  Lord, 
forasmuch  as  ye  know  that  your  labour  is  not  in  vain  m  the 
Lord." 

TJie  Second  Anthem. — The  same  feelings  characterizing 
the  first  Anthem  mark  this  also,  with  the  increased  rever- 
ential fervor  of  the  importunate  supplication  m  repetitious 
forms  of  prayer. 

"  Man,  that  is  born  of  a  woman,  hath  but  a  short  time 
to  live,  and  is  full  of  misery.  He  cometh  up,  and  is  cut 
down,  like  a  flower ;  he  fleeth  as  it  were  a  shadow,  and 
never  continueth  in  one  stay. 

'•'  In  the  midst  of  life  we  are  in  death  :  of  whom  may  we 
seek  for  succor,  but  of  thee,  0  Lord,  who  for  our  sins  art 
justly  displeased  ? 

"Yet,  0  Lord  God  most  holy,  0  Lord  most  mighty,  0 
holy  and  most  merciful  Saviour,  deliver  us  not  into  the 
bitter  pains  of  eternal  death. 

''  Thou  knowest,  Lord,  the  secrets  of  our  hearts  ;  shut 
not  thy  merciful  ears  to  our  prayers  ;  but  spare  us.  Lord 
most  holy,  0  God  most  mighty,  0  holy  and  merciful  Sav- 
iour, thou  most  worthy  Judge  eternal,  suffer  us  not,  at  our 
last  hour,  for  any  pains  of  death,  to  fall  from  thee." 

The  Committal. — This  passage  should  be  delivered  with 
the  utmost  solemnity  and  dignity,  with  the  voice  of  sub- 
dued sorrow,  deliberate  movement,  long  pauses,  and  low 
pitch,  to  the  portion  describing  the  might  and  the  triumph 
of  the  Resurrection,  when  the  voice  changes  to  greater  vol- 
ume and  force. 

"Forasmuch  as  it  hath  pleased  Almighty  God,  in  his 
wise  providence,  to  take  out  of  this  world  the  soul  of  our 
deceased  brother,  we  therefore  commit  his  body  to  the 
ground  ;  earth  to  earth,  ashes  to  ashes,  dust  to  dust ;  look- 
ing for  the  general  Resurrection  in  the  last  day,  and  tlie  life 
of  the  world  to  come,  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  at 
whose  second  coming  in  glorious  majesty  to  judge  the 
world,  the  earth  and  the  sea  shall  give  up  their  dead  ;  and 


23i  READING    OF  THE  SERVICE. 

the  corruptible  bodies  of  those  who  sleep  in  him  shall  be 
changed,  and  made  like  unto  his  own  glorious  body ;  ac- 
cording to  the  mighty  working  whereby  he  is  able  to  sub- 
due all  things  unto  himself." 

The  Third  Anthem,  to  be  given  with  its  lofty  and  in- 
spiring character,  is  rendered  most  exj^ressively  with  the 
sustained  and  equable  flow  of  the  monotone,  and  slow  and 
reverential  movement. 

"1  heard  a  voice  from  heaven,  saying  unto  me.  Write, 
From  henceforth  blessed  are  the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord  : 
even  so  saith  the  Spirit ;  for  they  rest  from  their  labours. " 
— Eev.  xiv.,  13. 

TJie  Closing  Prayers. — The  utterance  of  the  first  which 
follows  the  Lord's  Prayer  should  be  given  with  a  voice  ten- 
derly alive  to  thoughts  of  the  blessed  rest  upon  which  the 
faithful  departed  have  entered.  ''After  life's  fitful  fever 
they  sleep  well."  And  at  the  grave-side,  where  we  have 
committed  dust  to  dust,  the  tranquillity  of  the  repose  with 
chastened  sorrow  finds  expression  in  the  subdued  voice  and 
deliberate  utterance. 

The  second  prayer  has  more  of  earnest  supplication,  and 
is,  therefore,  quicker  in  movement ;  the  voice  is  higher  in 
its  key,  with  the  emphasis  more  fully  marked. 

The  Benediction,  with  more  than  unusual  depth  and 
solemnity  of  reverent  feeling,  closes  this  Service. 

"  Almighty  God,  with  whom  do  live  the  spirits  of  those 
who  depart  hence  in  the  Lord,  and  with  whom  the  souls  of 
the  faithful,  after  they  are  delivered  from  the  burden  of 
the  flesh,  are  in  joy  and  felicity ;  We  give  thee  hearty 
thanks  for  the  good  examples  of  all  those  thy  servants,  who, 
having  finished  their  course  in  faith,  do  now  rest  from  their 
labours.  And  we  beseech  thee,  that  we,  with  all  those  Avho 
are  departed  in  the  true  faith  of  thy  holy  Name,  may  have 
our  perfect  consummation  and  bliss,  both  in  body  and  soul, 
in  thy  eternal  and  everlasting  glory ;  through  Jesus  Christ 
our  Lord.     Amen. 


THE  BURIAL  SERVICE.  235 

*'0  merciful  God,  the  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
who  is  the  resurrection  and  the  life  ;  in  whom  whosoever 
believeth,  shall  live,  though  he  die  ;  and  whosoever  liveth, 
and  believeth  in  him,  shall  not  die  eternally  ;  who  also  hath 
taught  us,  by  his  holy  Apostle  Saint  Paul,  not  to  be  sorry, 
as  men  without  hope,  for  those  who  sleep  in  him  ;  We 
humbly  beseech  thee,  0  Father,  to  raise  us  from  the  death 
of  sin  unto  the  life  of  righteousness ;  that,  when  we  shall 
depart  this  life,  we  may  rest  in  him  ;  and  that,  at  the  gen- 
eral Eesurrection  in  the  last  day,  we  may  be  found  accept- 
able in  thy  sight ;  and  receive  that  blessing  which  thy  well- 
beloved  Son  shall  then  pronounce  to  all  who  love  and  fear 
thee,  saying.  Come,  ye  blessed  children  of  my  Father,  re- 
ceive the  kingdom  prepared  for  you  from,  the  beginning 
of  the  world.  Grant  this,  we  beseech  thee,  0  merciful 
Father,  through  Jesus  Christ,  our  Mediator  and  Eedeemer. 
Amen. 

"  The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  love  of 
God,  and  the  fellowship  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  be  with  us  all 
evermore.     Amen." 

The  Order  for  Morning  and  for  Evening  Prayer,  for 
the  Holy  Communion,  and  for  Baptism,  will  be  found  at 
the  end  of  the  volume,  for  convenience  of  reference. 


PART   III. 
MANNER  IN  THE  PULPIT. 


INTEODUCTIOK 

It  has  been  already  suggested  that  the  style  of  expres- 
sion in  clerical  elocution  has  a  standard  distinct  from  the 
mimetic  effect  of  the  stage,  the  colloquially  unrestrained 
standard  of  the  bar,  and  the  haranguing  effect  of  the  pub- 
lic platform,  or  the  formality  of  the  parliamentary  style. 
Its  standard  is  raised  for  the  direct  purpose  of  reaching 
the  very  souls  of  men,  and  to  inspire  within  them  a  sense 
of  their  accountability  to  God,  and  their  obedience  to  His 
commandments  ;  and  it  deals  directly  with  Divine  truth 
in  accomplishing  these  ends.  There  must  be,  therefore,  a 
gravity  and  dignity  of  demeanor,  a  simplicity  and  godly 
sincerity,  and  an  earnestness  of  purpose,  which  do  not 
characterize  the  other  standards  of  public  speaking.  No 
one  can  consciously  hold  the  God-given  authority,  or  aim 
at  the  Divinely  appointed  end  of  such  work,  of  breaking 
the  true  Bread  of  Life  to  needy,  hungering  souls,  without 
being  inspired  with  a  moral  earnestness  of  purpose,  which 
must  render  him  superior  to  all  trivial  and  unworthy  asso- 
ciations in  such  sacred  work. 

We  are  now  to  consider  some  of  the  leading  physical, 
moral,  and  intellectual  qualifications  for  proclaiming  the 
truth  of  God  from  the  Christian  pulpit.  In  writing  of 
these,  the  standard  must  be  high — higher  than  can  ordi- 


IXTRODUOTIOy.  237 

narily  be  attained.  For  it  is  extremely  rare  that  there  is 
such  a  happy  and  perfect  combination  of  faculties  and 
powers  united  as  -would  make  a  faultless  speaker.  In 
fact,  if  a  preacher  has  the  perfection  of  power  in  almost 
any  one  direction,  or  according  to  any  one  standard,  he 
will  probably  be  found  deficient  in  some  other. 

Let  no  one,  therefore,  be  discouraged  because  he  must 
necessarily  fall  short  of  a  high  ideal  of  a  standard  for 
manner.  For  the  presence  of  any  single  excellence  in  ex- 
jiressiye  power  is  sufficient  to  secure  success,  although,  of 
course,  all  the  additional  elements  which  may,  by  nature 
or  by  culture,  accompany  a  single  faculty,  are  just  so  much 
increase  of  power.  Moreover,  the  consciousness  of  a  fault 
or  deficiency  is  the  very  best  predisposition  to  secure  its 
remedy.  Moreover,  the  exertion  to  attain  what  is  aimed 
at  generates  a  reserve-power  of  great  force. 

We  begin  our  discussion  of  the  qualifications  of  the 
clerical  speaker  by  considering  those  that  are  i^liysical. 
The  best  effects  in  public  speaking  come  primarily  from 
health.  An  enfeebled  condition  of  the  body  is  not  the 
ideal  state  for  one  who  is  to  communicate  wholesome  and 
life-giving  truth.  And  while  men  suffering  under  physi- 
cal infirmities  have  accomplished  little  less  than  miracu- 
lous effects  in  public  speaking,  yet  it  was  extraordinary 
will-power,  or  unusual  intensity  of  nervous  action,  which 
produced  the  result.  Public  speaking  has  so  much  of 
sympathetic  and  contagious  power  that,  to  strengthen 
strong-minded  men,  or  to  command  and  lead  their 
thoughts,  the  well-being  of  the  body  is  made  an  essential 
condition.  ''A  sound  mind  in  a  healthy  body"  is  no- 
where more  important  than  here.  To  speak  with  spent 
force,  or  the  appearance  of  exhausting  effort,  or  to  show 
in  any  way  that  the  speaker  has  given  forth  his  best  effort, 
and  has  nothing  in  reserve,  produces  a  dispiriting  effect 
in  his  hearers  which  no  labor  of  his  can  counteract. 

All  means,  therefore,  of  preserving  the  health  should  be 


238  MANNER  IN  THE  PULPIT. 

observed  with  rigorous  fidelity,  under  a  most  solemn  sense 
of  the  binding  obligations  of  duty.  For  further  treatment 
of  the  subject  the  student  is  referred  to  the  introductory 
discussion  of  this  to^oic  in  the  earlier  pages  of  the  present 
work. 

Secondly,  the  moral  qualifications.  The  first  and  most 
important  of  these — the  power  that  comes  from  conscious 
rectitude  of  purpose  and  deep-seated  desire  to  fulfill  the 
Divine  will — is  a  moi'al  effect  for  the  loss  of  which  nothing 
can  compensate.  Quintilian's  theory,  that  the  good  speak- 
er must  be  a  good  man,  could  nowhere  better  apply  than  in 
the  consideration  of  what  the  herald  of  the  Church  should 
be.  Nobility  of  purpose,  purity  of  heart,  communion  with 
God  by  prayer  and  by  devout  use  of  all  the  means  of  grace, 
are  all  essential  to  moral  power,  even  in  speaking  in  the 
pulpit.  In  addition  to  these,  there  must  be  the  desire  and 
the  determination  to  declare  the  truth  of  God.  '^  The 
love  of  Christ  constraineth  us."  ''Yea,  woe  is  me  if  I 
preach  not  the  Gospel."  It  is  the  desire  to  proclaim  the 
truth  which  makes  the  expression  unlabored  and  spon- 
taneous. 

An  immense  amount  of  tviU-pozver  is  required  in  all 
successful  public  speaking,  for  it  awakens  into  effort  every 
energy  of  an  impelling  force,  steadied  by  a  self-controlling 
effort,  which  adds  weight  and  dignity  to  the  style.  If  in 
anything  the  will  makes  the  way,  it  is  in  the  effect  in  pub- 
lic speaking.  The  determination  to  be  heard,  to  convey 
and  enforce  the  truth,  opens  the  way  for  effectiveness  in 
speaking. 

Kindliness  and  sympathy  may  not  compel  a  hearing,  or 
impress  the  congregation  as  a  strong  amount  of  will-power 
may  do,  but  they  win  by  their  attractiveness,  and  the  heart 
of  the  hearer  is  led  a  more  willing  subject  under  the  domi- 
nation of  greater  force.  "Speaking  the  truth  in  love" 
will  be  the  ideal  of  the  gentler  influence  of  the  preacher's 
moral  power. 


ESSENTIAL  REQUISITES  FOR  EFFECTIVENESS.  239 

The  Intellectual  Qualifications. — These  are  manifestly 
more  varied  gifts  in  number  and  in  power  than  those  which 
relate  to  the  physical  and  moral  faculties  of  the  public 
speaker.  It  is  enough  to  say,  in  consideration  of  the  theme 
with  which  we  have  to  do,  that  there  is  no  intellectual  gift, 
however  brilliant,  or  however  great,  and  no  amount  of  cult- 
ure, however  vast  or  profound,  which  does  not  find  its  full- 
est scope  in  expressive  communication  to  others  of  Gospel 
truth.  But  the  majority  of  us  must  be  content  with  very 
moderate  gifts,  and  with  the  imperfections  of  insufficient 
culture.  Still,  even  with  this  impaired  power,  it  must  be 
apparent  that  every  clergyman  declaring  truth  from  the 
pulpits  of  the  Chiirch  must  be  possessed  with  the  conscious- 
ness that  the  thought  which  he  would  convey  to  others 
is  fairly  awakened  in  his  own  mind,  and  that  he  purposes 
to  erpress  it,  in  all  its  clearness,  to  the  minds  of  others. 
This  implies,  at  the  least,  mental  life  and  activity. 


CHAPTER   I. 

ESSEXTIAL    REQUISITES   FOR   EFFECTIVENESS. 

The  essential  requisites  for  effectiveness  in  style  are  life, 
force,  loarmth,  and  grace — life  to  inspirit,  force  to  impress, 
warmth  to  inflame,  and  grace  to  attract.  Under  these  com- 
pi-ehensive  terms  may  be  considered  all  the  elements  that 
relate  to  an  effective  manner  in  public  speaking. 

1.  Life. — There  can  be  no  excuse  for  the  lack  of  this 
element  of  style  on  the  part  of  any  speaker  moderately 
well  gifted  intellectually,  and  blessed  with  good  bodily 
health.  The  just  degree  of  animation  imparts  a  quicken- 
ing effect  to  the  thoughts  and  spirits  of  the  hearer.  The 
absence  of  this  effect  throws  the  hearer  into  an  apathetic 
and  somnolent  state,  which  no  effort  of  the  will  can  over- 
11 


240  MANNER  IN  THE  PULPIT. 

come.  The  satirist  good-naturedly  says  that  ''it  is  the  par- 
son's privilege  to  prose."  But,  if  there  is  this  danger,  the 
preacher  should  set  himself  resolutely  against  it,  and  show 
himself  both  alive  and  awake.  There  is  constantly  a  dan- 
ger on  the  part  of  a  speaker  endeavoring  to  overcome  this 
defect,  that  he  will  become  unduly  vivacious.  The  Chris- 
tian philosopher  in  the  pulpit,  proclaiming  the  truth  of 
God  to  human  souls,  can  not  be  merely  sprightly  in  his 
manner,  with  any  imdue  degree  of  vivacity,  but  he  can 
manifest  activity  and  health  in  the  play  of  his  thought, 
and  the  impulse  of  sj^irited  feeling  in  communicating  it. 
Freshness  and  vitality  of  thought  and  expression,  however 
acquired,  should  characterize  every  effort  of  communicat- 
ing the  truth  from  the  pulpit.  The  truth  with  which  we 
have  to  deal  is  wholesome.  The  princii^les  which  it  instills 
are  quickening.  The  hopes  which  it  awakens  are  inspirit- 
ing. All  the  ways  of  religion  are  pleasantness,  and  the 
speaker  who  communicates  such  truth  can  not  achieve  his 
purpose  without  having  a  manner  which  corresponds  with 
these  vitalizing  influences.  It  becomes,  therefore,  the  bound- 
en  duty  of  every  public  speaker  to  ascertain,  by  subjective 
effect  of  his  own  manner  upon  himself,  whether  it  is  quick- 
ening and  inspiriting,  or  the  reverse.  By  practice  in  the 
faculty  of  self-criticism  he  will  become  able  to  decide 
whether  his  manner  is  sufficiently  animated.  This  he  can 
]3roperly  test  by  a  consideration  of  the  elocutionary  ele- 
ments treated  of  in  the  succeeding  paragraph. 

Animated  expression  inclines  to  the  lighter  uses  of  the 
voice,  inasmuch  as  it  deals  more  with  thought  than  with 
feeling.  Weight,  volume,  and  depth  of  voice  are  not  the 
primary  elements  of  life  in  expression,  although  they  may 
accompany  it.  The  elasticity  or  play  of  the  voice  is  ham- 
pered in  its  effect  by  anything  that  retards  its  movement, 
or  imparts  solemnity  as  the  primary  emotion.  The  pauses 
are  short,  and  the  emphasis  strongly  marked.  The  percus- 
sive radical  stress  is  heard  more  frequently  than  any  other 


ESSENTIAL  REQUISITES  FOR  EFFECTIVEXESS.  241 

element  in  the  expression,  altliougli  the  others  are  used 
with  frequent  changes  in  effect,  thus  producing  animation. 
The  action  is  frequent  and  spirited.  And  in  this  property 
of  style  the  expressive  use  of  the  eye  has  greater  effect 
than  elsewhere.  The  ''lack-lustre"  look,  the  casting  of 
the  eye  uj^ward  or  askance  at  a  fixed  object,  or  any  other 
avoidance  of  its  direct  expressive  and  communicative  use, 
is  at  variance  with  the  desired  impression.  The  speaker 
who  keeps  his  eye  riveted  upon  his  manuscript  may  give  the 
effect  of  the  school-boy  reading  his  composition,  or  of  the 
aged  man  troubled  with  imperfection  of  sight,  but  he  can 
no  more  be  expressively  communicative  than  in  conversa- 
tion should  he  so  misuse  the  electric  power  of  the  eye. 
This  defect  is  sometimes  the  result  of  a  nervous  timidity 
which  does  not  comport  with  the  idea  of  a  mail  speaking 
earnestly  to  men  on  the  most  important  of  all  truths. 

To  secure  the  lively  utterance  of  which  the  most  inspir- 
iting lyric  passages  furnish  good  examples,  it  is  well  to 
practice  upon  such  compositions  as  Browning's  ''How  we 
brought  the  Good  News  from  Ghent  to  Aix  "  with  intense 
activity  and  vividness  in  the  expression.  The  following 
prose  extracts  will  also  be  found  of  service,  with  drill  upon 
the  selection  from  Sewell,  printed  elsewhere. 

Julius  Cmsar. — J.  8.  KnowJes. 

"  To  form  an  idea  of  Caesar's  energy  and  activity,  ob- 
serve him  when  he  is  surprised  by  the  Nervii.  His  soldiers 
are  employed  in  pitching  their  camp.  The  ferocious  enemy 
sallies  from  his  concealment,  puts  the  Roman  cavalry  to 
rout,  and  falls  upon  the  foot.  Everything  is  alarm,  confu- 
sion, and  disorder.  Everyone  is  doubtful  what  course  to 
take — every  one  but  Caesar.  He  causes  the  banner  to  be 
erected,  the  charge  to  be  sounded,  the  soldiers  at  a  distance 
to  be  recalled — all  in  a  moment.  He  runs  from  place  to 
place  ;  his  whole  frame  is  in  action  ;  his  words,  his  looks, 
his  motions,  his  gestures,  exhort  his  men  to  remember  their 


242  MAFRER  m  THE  PULPIT. 

former  valor.  He  draws  them  up,  and  causes  the  signal  to 
be  given — all  in  a  moment.  The  contest  is  doubtful  and 
dreadful ;  two  of  his  legions  are  entirely  surrounded.  He 
seizes  a  buckler  from  one  of  the  private  men,  puts  himself 
at  the  head  of  his  broken  troops,  darts  into  the  thick  of  the 
battle,  rescues  his  legions,  and  overthrows  the  enemy  ! " 

Self-denial.  — Newman. 

"  There  are  other  modes  of  self-denial  to  try  your  faith 
and  sincerity  which  it  may  be  right  just  to  mention.  It 
may  so  happen  that  the  sin  you  are  most  liable  to  is  not 
called  forth  every  day.  For  instance  :  anger  and  passion 
are  irresistible,  perhaps,  when  they  come  upon  you,  but  it 
is  only  at  times  that  you  are  provoked,  and  then  you  are 
off  your  guard  ;  so  that  the  occasion  is  over,  and  you  have 
failed,  before  you  were  well  aware  of  its  coming.  It  is 
right,  then,  for  you  almost  to  find  out  for  yourself  daily 
seK-denials,  and  this  because  our  Lord  bids  you  take  up 
your  cross  daily,  and  because  it  proves  your  earnestness, 
and  because  by  doing  so  you  strengthen  your  general  power 
of  self-mastery,  and  come  to  have  such  an  habitual  com- 
mand of  yourself  as  will  be  a  defence  ready  prepared  when 
the  season  of  temptation  comes.  Eise  up,  then,  in  the  morn- 
ing with  the  purpose  that  (please  God)  the  day  shall  not 
pass  without  its  self-denial,  with  a  self-denial  in  innocent 
pleasures  and  tastes,  if  none  occurs  to  mortify  sin.  Let 
your  very  rising  from  your  bed  be  a  self-denial  ;  let  your 
meals  be  self-denials.  Determine  to  yield  to  others  in 
things  indifferent,  to  go  out  of  your  way  in  small  matters, 
to  inconvenience  yourself  (so  that  no  direct  duty  suffers  by 
it),  rather  than  you  should  not  meet  with  your  daily  self- 
discipline.  This  was  the  Psalmist's  method,  who  was,  as  it 
were,  '  punished  all  day  long,  and  chastened  every  morning.' 
It  was  St.  Paul's  method,  who  'kept  under'  or  bruised  'his 
body,  and  brought  it  into  subjection.'  .  .  .  Let  not 
your  words  run  on  ;  force  every  one  of  them  into  action  as 


ESSEN'TIAL  REQUISITES  FOR  EFFECTIVENESS.  043 

it  goes,  and  thus,  cleansing  yourself  from  all  pollution  of 
the  flesh  and  spirit,  perfect  holiness  in  the  fear  of  God. 
In  dreams  we  sometimes  move  our  arms  to  see  if  we  are 
awake  or  not,  and  so  we  are  awakened.  This  is  the  way  to 
keep  your  heart  awake  also.  Try  yourself  daily  in  little 
deeds,  to  prove  that  your  faith  is  more  than  a  deceit." 

Variety  is  one  of  the  constituent  elements  of  life  in 
style.  The  monotonous  speaker  is  by  necessity  dull.  A  due 
degree  of  variety  is  necessary  to  the  best  effect  in  speaking. 
Dullness  and  apathy  can  not  exist  where  there  is  Just  variety. 
But,  like  all  other  expressive  elements,  it  must  be  used  with 
propriety,  as  its  misapplication  is  more  injurious  than  the 
defect  it  seeks  to  remedy.  Startling  and  abrupt  changes, 
simply  for  the  sake  of  change,  are  mechanical  and  artificial, 
and  so  nullify  their  own  design.  For  instance,  if  a  speaker 
proceeds  with  great  force  and  rapidity  for  several  sentences, 
and  then  suddenly  startles  the  attention  by  the  sudden 
break  of  a  pause  of  unusual  length,  and  a  mechanical  tran- 
sition to  a  very  low  key  and  a  very  slow  movement,  the 
impression  will  be  at  variance  with  all  that  nature 
prompts  in  continuous  and  animated  communication  of 
thought. 

As  the  theme  which  we  have  to  present  is  infinite  in  its 
variety,  having  all  nature  and  grace  for  its  province,  and 
spiritual  mysteries  into  which  angels  desire  to  look  ;  treating 
of  that  which  "  daily  before  us  lies,"  and  of  thoughts  where 
the  mind  loses  itself,  from  the  vast  extent  of  its  subject ; 
appealing  to  the  entire  sweep  of  the  endless  changes  of 
human  feeling,  and  addressing  men  in  every  possible  rhe- 
torical form  of  approach — there  must  be  a  correspondingly 
varied  play  of  the  voice  to  express  correctly  in  its  proper 
place  each  emotion  and  thought  of  this  boundless  range  of 
the  intellect. 

In  enumerating  the  expressive  elocutionary  elements  for 
variety,  we  are  led  through  nearly  all  technical  topics  pre- 


2^4  MANNER  IN  TEE  PULPIT. 

viously  considered.  In  ^'quality'"  we  have  all  the  changes 
from  the  "  head- voice  "  to  the  "  orotund  "  and  "  pectoral " ; 
the  entire  scope  of  "force,^'  from  the  gentlest  to  the  loud- 
est degrees;  the  full  comj)ass  of  " pitch, ^^  "high"  and 
"low";  the  degrees  of  "movement,''^  from  "slow"  to 
"quick."  The  "stress/'  "slide,"  "pause,"  the  "empha- 
sis," are  all  called  into  play  in  some  one  of  their  manifold 
changes.  If,  now,  we  take  the  extremes  in  all  these  ele- 
ments, and  consider  that  the  intermediate  stages  are  equally 
employed,  we  see  how  infinitely  varied  the  style  of  expres- 
sion may  become,  in  opposition  to  the  undeviating  sameness 
of  an  intolerable  monotony.  Yet  every  speaker,  it  should 
be  remembered,  is  inclined  to  some  one  element  more  than 
another,  and  is  in  constant  danger  of  becoming  monoto- 
nous in  some  one  thing.  In  addition  to  the  vocal  elements, 
we  have  also  the  aid  of  variety  in  action,  to  break  in  ujion 
apathetic  habit.  To  be  always  emphatically  assertive,  or 
j)icturesquely  descriptive,  or  to  fall  into  some  unmeaning 
habit  of  action,  whether  awkward  or  graceful,  is  at  variance 
with  the  demands  of  variety  of  style.  "  Suit  the  action  to 
the  word,  and  the  word  to  the  action." 

In  conclusion,  the  power  there  is  in  variety,  both  as  re- 
gards the  relief  to  the  ear  of  the  listener,  and  to  the  vocal 
organs  of  the  speaker,  not  less  than  its  natural  and  express- 
ive propriety,  should  cause  every  public  speaker  to  satisfy 
himself  that,  whatever  other  defects  may  mark  his  style,  it 
is,  at  least,  varied. 

In  order  to  train  the  voice  and  ear  to  flexibility,  ready 
appreciation,  and  a  good  degree  of  sensitive  power,  the 
practice  of  reading  highly  wrought  lyric  passages  would  be 
serviceable,  as  Southey's  "Fall  of  Lodore."  The  examples 
given  here  will  also  serve  the  same  purpose  : 

TJie  Call  of  Christ. — Dr.  James  De  Koven. 
"  Perhaps  there  is  no  period  of  life  when  the  advent  of 
Christ  to  the  soul  of  man,  if  I  may  call  it  so,   seems  to 


ESSENTIAL  REQUISITES  FOR  EFFECTIVENESS  245 

come  so  evideutly  as  to  the  child  just  enteriDg  into  mau- 
hood.  Whether  he  be  baptized  or  unbaptized,  whether  it 
be  the  speaking  of  the  grace  ah-eady  within  him,  or  the 
voice  of  God's  ineffable  election,  Christ  stands  by  his  side. 
His  voice  is  very  gentle.  His  accents  most  loving.  He  lays 
His  hand  upon  his  brow,  and  almost  leads  him  with  His 
love.  His  words  are  like  the  sound  of  many  waters,  and 
harpers  harping  with  their  harps.  It  would  be  only  a  little 
self-government,  the  restraint  of  the  passions,  the  life  by 
rule,  the  steady  habit  of  duty,  reverence,  obedience,  and 
devotion ;  and  he  almost  tries  it.  But  life  is  sunny,  and 
hopes  are  bright,  and  the  world  seems  strewed  with  flow- 
ers ;  and,  half  sorrowful,  he  falls  at  the  feet  of  his  Lord, 
and  beseeclies  Him  to  depart.  And  He  leaves  him  for  a 
little  while  to  himself  and  the  busy  world. 

"  He  grows  older  and  stronger,  and  is  more  full  of  man- 
hood and  power.  The  world,  indeed,  is  not  so  bright  as  it 
was,  but  it  more  fills  his  soul.  He  works  and  is  strong, 
and  he  eats  and  is  satisfied.  Busy  action  delights  him. 
He  is  tempted  and  he  sins  ;  there  are  spots  on  his  soul  ; 
the  prayers  of  his  childhood,  the  simplicity  of  his  boy- 
hood— these  are  gone.  But  all  the  while  Christ  beholds 
him  ;  He  loves  him  still ;  He  watches  him  every  day,  and 
once  more  He  stands  by  his  side.  It  is  in  the  height  of 
his  happiness,  it  may  be  in  the  tenderness  of  his  love,  in 
the  first  joy  of  a  father's  heart,  in  the  brightness  of  his 
promise,  that  He  calls  him.  But  can  he  leave  the  world 
and  its  pleasures  ?  Can  he  leave  the  pursuit  of  gain  ? 
Can  he  become  humble  as  a  little  child  ?  Nay,  it  is  too 
deep  a  loss,  and  once  more  he  bids  Him  depart. 

"  He  is  middle-aged  now,  and  his  locks  are  somewhat  sil- 
vered. His  passions  are  tamed,  and  his  blood  runs  coldly. 
Nothing  excites  him  greatly,  but  ho  lives  in  the  routine  of 
his  business.  He  is  a  man  of  habits.  He  docs  every  day 
what  he  did  yesterday.  His  dreams  are  over,  and  realities 
beset  him.     Things  have  disappointed  him,  and  he  thinks 


216  MANNER  IN   TEE  PULPIT. 

much  of  his  comfort.  There  is  a  charm  about  his  home 
and  his  children.  It  is  a  quiet  jjlace  for  him,  wliere  he 
can  rest.  There,  at  least,  he  is  sure  of  truth  and  sincerity 
and  unselfish  love,  and  there  his  heart  centers.  It  is  there, 
once  more,  with  chastising  love,  that  the  Master  meets 
him.  He  can  only  be  made  i^erfect  through  suffering. 
The  grave  yawns  for  his  loved  ones.  It  is  the  fair  child, 
or  the  wife  beloved,  that  he  must  bury  out  of  his  sight. 
By  the  side  of  the  open  grave,  in  the  midst  of  his  sorrow 
and  his  heart-broken  anguish,  once  more  he  sees  that  form 
Divine.  He  hears  the  only  words  that  can  comfort  him. 
A  vision  of  that  love,  better  than  of  sons  and  daughters, 
flashes  upon  him.  But  it  is  but  for  a  moment ;  earth  is 
too  strong  for  him,  and  he  beseeches  Him  to  depart. 

*'Age,  weary  age,  is  upon  him.  His  staff  will  hardly 
support  him  as  he  totters  along.  Sadly,  sadly  pass  the 
days,  cold  and  desolate.  There  is  a  voice  in  his  ear  say- 
ing evermore,  'Earth  to  earth,  dust  to  dust.'  Father 
and  mother  and  early  friends,  where  are  they  ?  Hopes  and 
expectations  and  aims  of  youth,  what  have  they  come  to  ? 
Life,  life,  what  has  it  been  ?  In  the  wakeful  nights  mem- 
ory torments  him.  Ghosts  of  sins  long  since  committed 
haunt  him.  Melancholy  shapes  beset  him.  As  one  that 
stands  upon  the  sea-shore,  with  impassable  rocks  behind, 
and  sees  the  advancing  tide  that  shall  overwhelm,  and 
hears  no  sound  of  answer  but  the  ceaseless  beating  of  the 
waves,  and  the  wild  cry  of  the  sea-birds,  so  he  stands  on 
the  brink  of  eternity.  The  years  of  his  life  stretch  out 
before  him,  they  mock  him  with  their  emptiness.  Like  a 
spectral  host  they  march  along,  and  as  they  pass  by,  one 
by  one,  cry  aloud,  with  accents  of  terror,  '  Lost,  lost,  for 
ever ! ' 

''He  knows  it  not,  perchance,  but,  veiled  in  wrath,  still 
Clirist  is  standing  by  him.  His  very  remorse  is  the  voice 
of  the  Lord.  It  is  the  last  opportunity,  the  last  hour  of 
his  probation,  the  last  effort  of  mercy.     Will  he  let  Him 


ESSENTIAL  REQUISITES  FOR  EFFECTIVENESS.  247 

go  a^yaJ,  with  heaven  and  hell  before  him,  and  the  grave 
open  at  his  feet  ?  Alas  !  He  is  passing  by.  There  is  no 
sound  that  bids  Him  stay,  no  voice  that  says  '  Abide  with 
me,'  no  hand  that  touches  the  hem  of  His  garment,  no 
supi^licating  cry,  'Jesus,  Master,  have  mercy  on  me  ! '  Will 
no  one  warn  him  ?  can  friend  or  brother  help  him  ?  shall 
the  Lord  pass  out  of  his  coasts  for  ever  ?  close  his  eyes 
gently,  and  part  his  silver  hair  upon  his  forehead,  and 
cross  his  hands  upon  his  bosom,  and  say  your  prayers,  and 
write  his  epitaph,  for  all  is  over,  over,  until  you  and  I,  and 
the  people  of  Gadara,  with  kindreds  and  nations  and  lan- 
guages, shall  see  him  once  again,  in  the  clouds  of  heaven." 

The  Endearing  Attribute. — Monocl. 

"God  is  love." — I.  John,  iv.,  8. 

*'In  a  small  town  in  Italy,  which,  eighteen  hundred 
years  since,  an  eruption  of  Mount  Vesuvius  buried  beneath 
a  flood  of  lava,  some  ancient  manuscripts,  so  scorched  as  to 
resemble  cinders  more  nearly  than  books,  have  been  discov- 
ered, and,  by  an  ingenious  process,  slowly  and  with  diffi- 
culty unrolled.  Let  us  imagine  that  one  of  these  scrolls  of 
Herculaneum  contained  a  copy,  and  the  only  one  in  the 
world,  of  the  epistle  from  which  the  text  is  taken,  and  that, 
having  come  to  the  fourth  chapter,  and  eighth  verse,  they 
had  just  deciphered  these  two  words,  '  God  is,'  and  were 
as  yet  ignorant  of  what  should  follow. 

''What  suspense  !  That  which  philosophers  have  so  ar- 
dently and  vainly  sought — that  of  Avhicli  tlie  wisest  among 
them  have  abandoned  the  pursuit — a  definition  of  God  ! 
Here  it  is,  and  given  by  the  hand  of  God  himself — '  God 
is!'  Wliat  is  he  about  to  tell  us?  What  is  God,  'who 
dwclleth  ill  the  light  whereunto  no  man  can  ajiproach, 
whom  no  man  hath  seen,  nor  can  see';  whom  wo  'feel 
after,  if  haply  we  may  find  Him,  though  He  is  not  far 
from  every  one  of  us  ' ;  who  constrains  us  to  cry  out  with 
Job,  '  0  that  I  knew  where  I  might  find  Him  !  if  I  go  for- 


2i8  MANNER  IN  TEE  PULPIT. 

ward,  He  is  not  tliere  ;  backward,  but  I  can  not  perceive 
Him  ;  on  the  left  hand,  where  He  doth  work,  but  I  can  not 
behold  Him  ;  He  hideth  himself  on  the  right  hand  that  I 
can  not  see  Him  ? '  What  is  He,  that  all-powerful  God, 
whose  word  hath  created,  and  whose  word  could  annihilate, 
everything  which  exists — *in  whom  we  live,  and  move, 
and  have  our  being' — who  holds  us  each  moment  under 
His  hand,  and  who  can  dispose  as  He  will  of  our  existence, 
our  situation,  our  abode,  our  circle  of  friends,  our  body, 
and  our  soul  even  ?  What,  in  short,  is  this  holy  God,  '  who 
is  of  purer  eyes  than  to  behold  iniquity,'  and  whom  our 
conscience  accuses  us  of  having  offended  ;  of  whose  dis- 
pleasure nature  has  conveyed  to  us  some  vague  impression, 
but  of  whose  pardon  neither  conscience  nor  nature  has 
given  us  any  intimation — this  Just  Judge,  into  whose  hands 
we  are  about  to  fall,  it  maybe  to-morrow,  it  may  be  to-day, 
ignorant  of  the  sentence  which  awaits  us,  and  knowing 
only  that  we  deserve  the  worst —  What  is  He  ?  Our  repose^ 
our  salvation,  our  eternal  destiny — all  is  at  stake  ;  and  me- 
thinks  I  see  all  the  creatures  of  God  bending  over  the 
sacred  record  in  silent  and  solemn  expectation  of  what  is 
about  to  be  revealed  concerning  this  question  of  questions. 
"At  length  the  momentous  word  love  appears!  Who 
could  desire  a  better  ?  What  could  be  conceived  compara- 
ble to  it  by  the  boldest  and  loftiest  imagination  ?  This 
hidden  God,  this  powerful  God,  this  holy  God — He  is  loye  ! 
What  need  we  more  ?  God  loves  us.  Do  I  say  He  loves 
us  ?  All  in  God  is  love.  Love  is  His  very  essence.  He 
who  speaks  of  God  speaks  of  love.  God  is  love  !  0  an- 
swer, surpassing  all  our  hopes  !  0  blessed  revelation,  put- 
ting an  end  to  all  our  apprehensions  !  0  glorious  pledge 
of  our  happiness,  present,  future,  eternal ! " 

Naturalness  of  manner,  that  rarely  attained  perfection, 
should  be  considered  in  connection  with  life  or  animation. 
The  hindrances  to  natural  expression  are  many.     The  re- 


ESSENTIAL  REQUISITES  FOR  EFFECTIVENESS.   249 

straiuts  of  tlie  place  iu  wliicli  we  speak,  the  solemnity  of 
the  duties  of  the  office,  the  unusual  method  of  precompos- 
ing  thought,  and  returning  to  its  written  form,  days — it 
may  be  weeks — after  its  composition,  and  then,  hardest  of 
all,  the  delivery  from  manuscript  of  the  message  which 
should  be  spontaneous  in  its  prompting,  instead  of  restrain- 
ing in  its  effect  upon  the  yoice,  and  restrictive  in  action, 
the  oft-repeated  theme,  the  natural  inertness  and  impassi- 
bility of  the  hearers — all  these  are  influences  which  repress 
and  chill  rather  than  develop  the  power  of  expression. 
Every  speaker  who  extemporizes  easily  must  have  noticed 
the  change  in  favor  of  naturalness  of  manner  when  the 
manuscript  is  laid  aside.  But  it  would  not  serve  to  intro- 
duce into  the  style  of  the  delivery  of  a  manuscript  sermon 
all  the  variety  instinctively  prompted  while  speaking  extem- 
poraneously. Yet  there  is  something  of  the  freshness  of 
the  extemporaneous  style  which  should  be  incorporated 
into  the  manner  of  delivering  the  written  discourse.  The 
written  sermon  has  more  or  less  of  formality  to  character- 
ize it,  which  would  suit  the  extemporaneous  style  no  better 
than  the  freedom  and  familiarity  of  the  extemporized  dis- 
course would  properly  characterize  the  other.  Even  nat- 
uralness, then,  may  have  its  degrees,  not  only  in  the  vary- 
ing styles  of  preparation,  but  also  in  the  delivery  of  each. 
A  style  perfectly  natural  should  be  free  from  all  mannerisms, 
and  as  simple  and  direct  in  vocal  expression  as  possible. 
Even  individuality,  which  enters  so  largely  into  natural- 
ness, if  the  personality  be  made  too  prominent,  can  not 
safely  be  followed  as  a  standard.  The  proprieties  of  the 
place,  the  occasion,  the  theme,  have  the  superior  informing 
power,  and  necessarily  suppress  all  that  is  too  plainly  char- 
acteristic of  the  individual.  In  deciding  upon  a  true  stand- 
ard of  naturalness  in  manner,  it  would  be  well  for  the  stu- 
dent to  practice  upon  the  delivery  of  passages  in  his  own  or 
selected  matter  precisely  as  though  he  were  uttering  the 
same  to  an  individual  parishioner,  and  then  increase  by  de- 


250  MANNER  IN  THE  PULPIT. 

grees,  in  his  repetitions,  an  imaginary  number  of  hearers, 
until  he  attains  to  the  fullness  of  expression  required  for  his 
own  congregation.  He  will  find  by  this  that,  beyond  the 
increase  of  yolume  of  voice,  a  slower  movement,  together 
with  longer  pauses  and  stronger  emphasis,  there  is  scarcely 
any  other  change  required.  But  every  preacher,  in  inquir- 
ing into  his  own  defects,  should  learn  to  distinguish  the 
wide  difference  between  what  is  merely  JiaMtual  and  what 
is  strictly  natural  in  his  utterance.  It  is  habitual,  for  in- 
stance, for  one  man  to  talk  through  his  nose,  but  this  is  far 
from  being  strictly  natural.  So  on  through  many  particu- 
lars of  expression  which  are  unnatural,  although  habitual, 
the  discussion  might  be  carried. 

From  a  sermon  by  the  Bishop  of  Bedford  to  the  Salva- 
tion Army  : 

"  But  turn  and  look.  See  these  crowds  of  poor  souls 
all  about  us.  Walk  through  Bethnal  Green,  or  Eatcliffe, 
or  Sj)italfields,  or  Whitechapel,  on  a  fine  summer  evening, 
when  all  the  people  are  out  in  the  streets  ;  or  go  into  the 
lodging-houses  and  talk  with  the  men  there  ;  or  go  with 
some  district  visitor  from  room  to  room  in  the  miserable 
places  they  call  home,  and  see  the  poor  families  huddled  to- 
gether so  that  it  is  hard  to  see  how  there  can  be  any  self- 
respect,  or  even  cleanliness  or  decency  ;  and  then  just  think 
a  moment  of  that  picture  I  drew.  Why,  what  do  these 
poor  souls  know  of  all  this  ?  You  might  as  well  talk  Greek 
to  them  as  tell  them  much  of  what  I  have  told  you.  Talk 
of  heavenly  affections  and  love  of  holiness  to  men  wallow- 
ing in  the  filth  of  the  foulest  lusts  !  Talk  of  the  blessed- 
ness of  a  life  of  prayer  to  men  who  use  God's  name  only 
for  curses  !  Talk  of  the  power  and  grace  of  Sacraments 
to  men  who  have  no  conception  of  anything  beyond  what 
their  senses  tell  them  of  !  Talk  of  the  grand  old  Creeds  to 
men  who  have  never  realized  the  very  first  words,  '  I  be- 
lieve in  God  ! '  Talk  of  unselfishness  to  men  who  have 
never  acted  on  any  other  motive  than  self  !     Talk  of  hap- 


ESSENTIAL  REQUISITES  FOR  EFFECTIVENESS.   251 

j)iness  in  religion  to  men  whose  only  idea  of  happiness  is 
the  indulgence  of  the  passing  passions  ! 

"0,  my  friends,  there  is  something  to  do  before  all  this. 
We  want  to  tell  these  poor  souls  just  the  very  first  and  sim- 
plest things  we  have  got  to  tell.  We  want  to  tell  them,  as 
we  would  our  own  little  children,  of  a  God  Who  loves  them 
that  they  might  live,  of  a  Spirit  Who  will  help  them  to 
break  their  fetters  and  be  free.  I  know  it  is  just  this  you 
are  trying  to  tell  them.  God  guide,  and  help,  and  bless  all 
who  are  striving  to  carry  to  the  lost  the  message  of  salva- 
tion, and  to  bring  them  to  the  Saviour. 

**  I  should  be  strangely  constituted  if,  being  called  to 
preside,  as  Bishop,  over  the  Church  of  England  in  East 
London,  I  should  be  indifferent  to  any  etforts  to  win  the 
masses  of  our  j^eo^^le,  who,  alas  !  lie  for  the  most  part  out- 
side all  present  religious  influences,  to  a  knowledge  of 
Christ  and  a  hope  beyond  the  grave.  You  do  not  work  in 
our  ways,  and  I  should  be  untruthful  to  let  you  suppose  I 
can  approve  of  all  your  ways,  but  there  are  the  masses  of 
the  godless  and  indifferent.  We  will  have  no  jealousies. 
Go,  in  God's  name,  and  drag  them  out  of  the  mire,  if  you 
can  !  Perhaps  they  need  a  trumpet-call  louder  and  more 
startling  than  we  have  learned  to  blow.  At  any  rate,  we 
are  not  ashamed  to  confess  that  you  are  teaching  us  by  your 
zeal  and  courage  to  ask  ourselves  some  questions,  which  I 
asked  publicly  at  the  Mansion  House  last  Monday — Is  it 
possible  that  we  have  been  too  straightlaced  ?  Is  it  possible 
that  we  have  been  lacking  in  the  intensity  of  our  longing 
to  seek  and  to  save  the  lost  ?  If  you  teach  us  Church  peo- 
ple to  ask  ourselves  such  questions  as  these,  we  shall  owe 
you  a  debt  of  gratitude.  ... 

"  But  mark.  Tlie  Spirit  is  a  Spirit  of  obedience  and  of 
order.  Don't  let  us  despise  ordinances.  Jesus  did  not. 
Why,  think  of  baptism.  How  expressly  commanded  !  How 
highly  honored  !  St.  Peter  uses  stronger  language  about  it 
than  I  should  have  dared  to  use  ;  and  yet  Christians  think 


252  MANNER  IN  THE  PULPIT. 

lightly  of  it !  Look  at  Holy  Communion,  except  the 
Lord's  Prayer,  the  only  act  of  Worship  enjoined  by  the 
Lord.  How  high  and  heavenly  are  the  words  that  are  writ- 
ten about  it !  How  blessed  are  its  promises  !  How  mani- 
fold its  privileges  !  And  yet  men  think  they  can  serve  the 
Lord  without  it !  Then,  again,  there  is  Confirmation,  so 
sanctioned  by  Apostolic  practice,  so  stamped  with  approval 
as  one  of  the  'principles'  or  foundation  truths  of  the 
doctrine  of  Christ,  so  honored  by  God  in  its  power  in  the 
lives  of  His  children  !  And  yet  men  hold  it  as  naught. 
Now,  Sacraments  and  Ordinances  cannot  save.  Only 
Christ  can  save.  But  they  are  blessed  helps  to  the  soul, 
blessed  channels  of  God's  good  gifts.  And  we,  who 
know  their  blessedness,  are  always  ready  and  thankful  to 
instruct  and  prepare  any  who  are  longing  to  seek  grace  in 
these  means  of  grace." 

Force. — As  "life"  has  to  do  with  inspiriting  effect,  so 
"  force  "  relates  to  all  that  is  commanding  and  impressive. 
It  is  primarily  the  manly  element  in  public  speaking,  and, 
therefore,  commands  a  hearing.  Feeble  utterance  and  pa- 
thetic expression  may  touch  the  sympathies  of  those  whom 
the  "  dear  man  "  addresses,  but  such  a  speaker  does  not 
compel  or  direct  thought  and  feeling.  And,  whatever  other 
excellence  in  style  he  may  possess,  he  still  can  not  be  fully 
or  deeply  impressive.  The  excess  of  tliis  attribute  of  style, 
when  magnified  to  a  fault,  renders  the  speaker  simply 
pompous  or  boisterous,  both  qualities  being  poor  substitutes 
for  "force."  The  moral  source  of  this  power  is  found  in 
the  will,  by  which  a  speaker  learns  that  authoritative  ut- 
terance which  enforces  a  hearing.  It  rests  likewise  upon 
the  quiet  influence  of  that  power  of  self-jDOSsession  and  self- 
respect  which  constitute  the  essence  of  dignity.  The 
speaker  who  can  not  first  control  himself  can  not  expect  to 
control  his  hearers.  Any  mere  imitation  of  this  effective 
quality  degenerates  into  arrogance  and  extreme  formality. 
And  still  further,  all  manly  force  is  absolutely /ree  in  its 


ESSENTIAL  REQUISITES  FOR  EFFECTIVENESS  253 

expression,  anything  like  constraint,  reserve,  and  inexpress- 
iveness,  being  at  variance  with  this  genuine  quality.  Akin 
to  this  is  boldness  of  style,  where  the  force,  impelled  by  in- 
terest in  the  theme,  by  conscious  sincerity  of  purpose,  and 
by  the  determination  boldly  to  speak  the  truth,  gives  the 
speaker  a  power  not  otherwise  to  be  acquired.  All  these 
properties  combined,  quickened  by  the  element  of  anima- 
tion, and  enkindled  by  warmth,  produce  energy,  the  very 
maximum  of  force  and  of  commanding  effect  in  public  speak- 
ing. The  bolder  and  fuller  uses  of  the  voice  are  then 
heard,  the  emi:)hasis  is  strongly  and  deliberately  marked, 
the  action  is  muscularly  emphatic,  and  the  whole  bearing 
of  the  body  and  the  expression  of  the  eye  will  display  the 
conscious  authority  of  the  office,  the  dignity  which  befits 
the  theme,  the  freedom  which  recognizes  no  restraints  but 
those  imposed  by  propriety,  and  the  boldness  which,  know- 
ing the  commission  to  be  from  God,  fears  not  the  face  of 
man.  While  writing  with  the  intention  solely  of  encourag- 
ing force,  the  author  is  liable  to  be  misunderstood,  in  cen- 
suring the  feebler  effects,  of  unduly  magnifying  the  subject 
under  discussion.  Without  reverence,  the  "savor  of  life 
unto  life,"  the  consciousness  of  the  presence  of  God,  there 
can  be  no  true  presentation  of  the  divine  herald's  charac- 
ter. In  writing  against  violence  of  manner,  however,  it 
should  be  understood  that  this  does  not  exclude,  in  some 
instances,  a  sufficient  degree  of  force  to  be  characterized  as 
vehemence. 

The  succeeding  extract  may  be  practiced  with  reference 
to  the  notion  of  calm  authority: 

Autliority. — Dr.  James  De  Koven. 

**  What  then  ?  I  shall  be  asked,  Is  there  some  charm  in 
this  Episcopacy  that  it  is  to  work  all  these  wonders  ?  Yes, 
I  reply,  the  sovereign  charm  of  right  reason,  due  autliority, 
and  the  Divine  blessing.  For  who,  that  ever  looked  intel- 
ligently into  the  Scriptures,  failed  to  find  that  the  plan  of 


254  MANITER  m  THE  PULPIT. 

salvation  is  everywhere  set  forth  as  a  covenant,  in  which 
God  by  His  representatives — first,  *  the  one  Mediator  be- 
tween God  and  man,  the  man  Christ  Jesus,'  then  by  His 
ambassadors  clothed  by  Him,  as  St.  John  relates,  with  ple- 
nary power,  '  as  my  Father  hath  sent  me,  even  so  send  I 
you ' — offers,  through  faith  in  His  Son,  pardon,  adoption, 
and  salvation,  and  to  the  true  believer  seals  and  pledges 
them  for  ever.  Now,  who  that  has  not  this  authority  can 
exercise  it  ?  Who  can  have  it  that  has  not  received  it  from 
Christ  ?  To  whom  did  Christ  ever  give  it  but  to  the 
Apostles  and  their  successors  ?  '  Go  ?/e  and  make  disciples 
of  all  nations.'  'Lo  I  am  with  you  alway,  even  unto  the 
end  of  the  world.'  'Whosesoever  sins  ye  remit,  they  are 
remitted  unto  them,  and  whosesoever  sins  ye  retain,  they 
are  retained.'  '  Is  God  a  man  that  he  should  lie,  or  the  son 
of  man  that  he  should  repent  ?  He  said,  and  shall  he  not 
do  it  ?  Hath  He  spoken,  and  shall  He  not  make  it  good  ?' 
Will  He  not  bless  His  own  institutions  ?  or  can  they  who 
depart  from  His  institutions  expect  His  blessing.  Abana 
and  Pharpar,  though  rivers,  are  not  the  river  of  Jordan. 
The  opinion  of  the  most  learned  member  of  the  bar  is  not 
the  decision  of  the  judge.  The  holiest  of  men  can  have 
no  authority  to  represent  God,  unless  'called  of  God,' as 
was  Aaron,  and,  of  course,  can  not  convey  the  blessing 
which  Aaron  was  appointed  to  convey.  Yes,  could  I  swell 
my  voice  till  it  should  reach  from  Canada  to  Mexico,  and 
from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  shore,  it  should  be  lifted 
up  to  entreat  of  all  who  heard  it  to  seek  with  their  whole 
hearts  the  Gospel  of  Christ  in  the  Church  of  Christ — not  to 
be  content  with  the  Word  of  God,  without  that  ministry 
and  those  sacraments  which  are  equally  His  ordinance,  and 
equally  essential  to  salvation,  but,  for  Christ's  sake,  for 
their  own  soul's  sake,  to  cling  to  that  Divine  institution  of 
Episcopacy  of  which  the  Holy  Ghost  was  the  author.  I 
would  offer  to  them  the  office  of  a  Bishop  as  the  angel  fly- 
ing iin  the  midst  of  heaven,  having  the  everlasting  Gospel  to 


ESSEXTIAL  REQUISITES  FOR  EFFECTIVEXESS.  255 

preach  unto  them  that  dwell  in  the  earth,  and  '  to  every  na- 
tion and  kindred  and  tongue  and  people,'  the  agency  on 
earth  to  which  the  care  of  souls  has  been  intrusted,  divine- 
ly authorized  to  propose  the  covenant  of  salvation,  and  to 
affix  the  seals.  I  would  urge  it  upon  them,  not  as  of  Di- 
vine appointment  merely,  but  as  fitted,  beyond  anything 
that  human  wisdom  can  conceive  of,  to  promote,  in  every 
possible  way,  the  present  interests  and  the  speedy  consum- 
.mation  of  the  Eedeemer's  kingdom." 

The  passage  given  here  illustrates  well  the  proper  dig- 
nity of  the  pulpit  : 

The  Study  of  the  Scriptures. — Dr.  E.  A.  WashMirn. 

"■  I  have  so  endeavored  to  show  you  the  true  spirit  in 
which  we  shall  study  together  this  Statute  Book  of  Israel. 
May  He  who  is  '  Truth  and  Life '  guide  us  in  the  study. 
Each  sentence,  illuminated  by  the  light  of  Christ's  wisdom, 
shall  be  full  of  deeper,  broader  meanings  than  are  found 
on  its  surface  ;  and  it  may  seem  to  some  as  if  it  had  been 
hitherto  only  a  Hebrew  tongue,  sacred,  yet  dead  to  us.  We 
shall  see  no  longer  the  sins  that  walked  in  Jerusalem,  but 
the  sins  that  to-day  wear  as  large  phylacteries,  and  sound 
the  trumpet  in  our  streets.  This  is  the  moral  history  that 
concerns  us.  This  is  the  lesson  we  need  to  learn  of  the 
vices  of  our  own  hearts  and  of  our  own  Christian  time  ; 
the  knowledge  that  befits  the  disciples  of  our  Divine  Mas- 
ter. What  is  it  to  be  under  such  a  law  ?  Again,  as  I  turn 
to  that  stately  monument  of  a  Hebrew  past,  there  rises  be- 
fore me  the  mount  of  Sinai,  and  I  behold  the  law-giver, 
veiled  in  the  light  of  God's  presence,  descending  with  the 
tables  of  stone  in  his  hand,  and  speaking  to  the  awe-struck 
crowd  the  words  of  blessing  and  cursing.  But  when  I 
stand  before  that  mount  of  Beatitudes,  not  burning  Avith 
fire,  but  a  lower  slope,  gently  reaching  down  like  the  love 
of  God  to  man,  I  see  another  face,  diviner  than  that  of 


256  MAXXER  m  TEE  PULPIT. 

Moses.  I  know  there  'how  awful  goodness  is' ;  I  hear  in 
that  voice  which  says  'Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart'  a 
word  mightier  than  the  thunders  of  the  Jewish  law-giver  ; 
a  law  that  speaks  from  heaven,  yet  quickens,  cheers,  uplifts 
us ;  a  law  sharper  than  a  two-edged  sword  to  pierce  the 
motives,  to  unveil  the  secret  sins  ;  yet  it  aids  us  in  every 
true  aim,  it  warns  us  in  every  temptation,  it  smiles  on  us 
in  every  struggle,  it  leads  us,  weak  and  sinful  as  we  are, 
toward  that  life  of  holiness  which  is  the  gate  of  the  life 
eternal. " 

The  selection  following  is  an  excellent  example  of  free- 
dom of  style  : 

Life's  ProMtion. — Archer  Butler. 

"  We  are  pilgrims  to  a  dwelling-place  of  hlessedness, 
and  the  light  which  streams  through  its  oj)en  portals  ought 
to  suffuse  us  as  we  approach  them.  An  anticipated  beati- 
tude, a  sanctity  that  even  now  breathes  of  Paradise,  a  grace 
which  is  already  tinged  with  the  richer  hues  of  glory — these 
should  mark  the  Christian  disciple  :  and  these,  as  he  ad- 
vances in  years,  should  brighten  and  deepen  upon  and 
around  him,  until  the  distinction  of  earth  and  heaven  is 
almost  lost,  and  the  spirit,  in  its  unearthly  and  placid  re- 
pose, is  gone  before  the  body,  and  at  rest  already  with  its 
God.  This  may  seem  but  an  ideal,  and  too  sad  it  is  that  it 
should  commonly  be  only  such ;  for  once  adequately  con- 
ceive the  Christian's  gift  and  privilege,  and  what  have  I 
described  which  ought  not  naturally  to  characterize  him  ? 
A  being  already  invested  with  a  deathless  life,  already 
adopted  into  the  immediate  family  of  God,  already  enrolled 
in  the  brotherhood  of  angels — yea,  of  the  Lord  of  angels ; 
a  being  who,  amid  all  the  revolutions  of  earth  and  skies, 
feels  and  knows  himself  indestructible,  capacitated  to  out- 
last the  universe,  a  sharer  in  the  immortality  of  God — what 
is  there  that  can  be  said  of  such  an  one  which  falls  not 
below  the  awful  glory  of  his  position  ?    0  misery,  that 


ESSENTIAL  REQUISITES  FOR  EFFECTIVENESS  257 

with  such  a  calling  man  should  be  the  groveling  thing  that 
he  is  !  that,  summoned  but  to  pause  awhile  in  the  vestibule 
of  the  eternal  temple,  ere  he  be  introduced  into  its  sanctu- 
aries, he  should  forget,  in  the  dreams  of  his  lethargy,  or 
learn,  poor  scoffer  !  to  despise,  the  eternity  that  awaits  him  ! 
0  wretchedness  beyond  words,  that,  surrounded  by  love  and 
invited  by  glory,  he  should  have  no  heart  for  haj)piness ; 
but  should  still  love  to  cower  in  the  dark,  while  light 
ineffable  solicits  him  to  behold  and  to  enjoy  it !  0  horror 
yet  more  terrific,  that  him  whom  love  and  joy  can  not 
attract,  even  vengeance  and  torment  can  not  alarm  ;  that, 
unwilling  to  receive  God  as  merciful,  he  can  not  be  taught 
to  remember  him  as  just,  or  to  reflect  that  he  who  refuses 
to  prepare  for  the  inheritance  of  the  saints  in  light  is  by 
that  very  refusal  hardening  his  own  heart  to  the  temper  of 
the  inheritors  of  darkness  !  " 

The  impassioned  appeal  for  the  abolition  of  the  slave- 
trade  is  a  fine  example  of  boldness  : 

The  Slave- Trade. — Deivey. 

**  The  world  is  full  of  wrongs  and  evils,  and  full  of 
wronged  and  suffering  men.  But  still  I  do  say  that,  of  all 
wrongs,  slavery  is  the  greatest.  It  denies  to  man  his 
humanity,  and  all  its  highest  and  holiest  rights.  And 
of  all  slavery,  the  African  is  the  most  monstrous.  Other 
men  have  fallen  under  this  doom  by  the  fate  of  war.  They 
have  bought  life  at  the  price  of  bondage.  With  Africa 
there  has  been  no  war  but  that  of  the  prowling  man-stealer  ! 
He  has  gone  up  among  the  river  glades  of  that  ill-fated 
land  ;  he  has  torn  men,  women,  and  children  from  their 
country  and  their  homes,  who  never  did  him  any  wrong ; 
he  has  hurried  them  to  his  prison-ship  ;  he  has  plunged 
them  into  the  dungeon  of  'the  middle  passage' — 'middle 
passage !'  phrase  that  passes  in  universal  speech  for  all  the 
atrocities  that  human  nature  can  inflict  or  endure  ;  he  has 


25S  MANNER  IN  THE  PULPIT. 

thrust  them  down  into  that  dark,  unbreathing  confine,  in 
mingling  and  writhing  agony,  and  despair  and  disease  and 
corruption  and  death  ;  he  has  borne  them  away,  regardless 
of  their  tears  and  entreaties,  and  sold  them  into  hopeless 
bondage  in  a  strange  land  ;  forty  millions,  it  is  calculated  — 
forty  millions  of  human  beings  have  suffered  this  awful 
fate  !  Oh  !  it  is  the  great  felon  act  in  humanity  !  Oh  !  it 
is  the  monster  crime  of  the  world  ! " 

Warmth. — A  style  that  is  cold  and  unfeeling  will  never 
form  a  true  standard  for  the  pulpit,  for  its  office  is  to  speak 
the  truth  in  love.  The  glow  of  kindly,  cordial  feeling 
must  suffuse  the  speaker's  manner,  or  his  words  will  be  un- 
felt.  Apathetic  statements  and  unimjoassioned  appeals  never 
yet  moved  the  human  heart.  The  mind,  indeed,  may  be 
reached  and  impressed  by  quickening  and  imj)ressive  ut- 
terances from  the  pulpit,  but  to  touch  and  melt  the  soul, 
to  set  it  aglow  with  love  to  God  and  man,  is  the  result 
of  heart  speaking  to  heart,  of  cordial  and  enthusiastic  in- 
terest in  the  theme,  and  the  great  mission  it  is  to  accom- 
plish for  men.  A  pulpit  manner,  to  be  truly  efficient  in 
accomplishing  its  high  purposes,  must  be  touched  with 
living  coals  from  off  the  altar  of  the  heart.  No  dead  em- 
bers, and  no  frenzied  fires,  can  supplant  the  need  of  a 
continued,  cordial,  and  unfailing  interest  in  the  declara- 
tion of  the  truth.  The  very  foundation,  therefore,  of 
warmth  of  manner  is  earnest  interest  on  the  part  of  the 
speaker.  Earnestness  is  the  first  stage  of  that  enkindling 
interest  which  increases  in  ardor  and  in  fervor  until  it 
attains  to  a  consuming  zeal.  The  voice  in  earnestness 
becomes  more  or  less  aspirated,  and  in  intensity  of  feeling, 
as  in  colloquial  intercourse,  where  the  heart  is  deejoly 
moved,  this  occasionally  becomes  very  marked.  The  force 
is  suppressed,  although  intensified  by  the  weight  of  feeling 
which  struggles  for  expression.  l^\\e  pitch  varies  from  low 
to  high,  according  to  the  nature  of  the  emotion  to  be  ex- 


ESSEXTIAL  REQUISITES  FOR  EFFECTIVENESS  259 

pressed,  intensity  and  ardor  representing  the  former,  and 
deep  solicitude  and  solemnity  of  feeling  the  latter.  The 
pauses  are  brief  and  the  emphasis  very  marhed  and  em- 
phatic, the  action  is  energetic,  and  the  very  body,  as  well  as 
the  heart,  is  warmed  with  the  glow  of  feeling.  The  fol- 
lowing may  be  read  with  these  properties  of  voice,  aiming 
at  the  moral  effect  and  feeling  just  described  : 

Dcatli-hed  Repentance. — Bishop  Hobart. 

*'Alas  !  that  any  should  rest  their  immortal  interests 
on  a  death-bed  repentance.  We  do  not  declare  such  re- 
pentance impossible  ;  on  the  contrary,  we  declare  it  to  be 
possible,  through  the  extraordinary  mercy  and  grace  of 
God  ;  and  therefore  we  encourage  and  soothe  the  contrition 
and  sorrow  of  the  dying  penitent.  But  still  a  death-bed 
repentance  is  inexpressibly  difficult,  eminently  hazardous, 
and  recompensed  at  best  with  only  imperfect  rewards.  Will 
any,  then,  rest  their  eternal  happiness  on  a  death-bed  repent- 
ance ?  That  repentance  may  never  come  ;  some  sudden  acci- 
dent may  in  a  moment  cut  asunder  the  tie  that  unites  you 
to  life  ;  disease  may  instantly  terminate  your  mortal  exist- 
ence ;  delirium,  seizing  your  departing  spirit,  may  render 
you  incapable  of  reflection,  of  resolution,  even  of  one  prayer 
for  mercy.  Oh,  fatal  delusion  !  that  has  placed  the  interests 
of  eternity  on  a  death-bed  repentance — which  never  comes. 

"Beloved  brethren  !  defer  not  to  this  uncertain  hour — 
this  hour  of  solicitude,  of  weakness,  of  pain,  of  agony — the 
work  of  repentance.  Employ  the  season  of  health,  of 
strength,  and  of  vigor,  in  this  difficult,  this  arduous,  but 
indisi)cnsable  work.  Let  your  death-bed  be  the  scene,  not 
of  your  tears,  your  anguish,  your  conflicts,  but  of  your 
praises,  your  joys,  your  triumphs.  Then  have  recourse  to 
your  God,  not  as  your  Judge,  to  be  appeased,  but  as  your 
Father  already  reconciled.  Then  have  recourse  to  your 
Saviour,  not  solely  to  shelter  you  from  the  tempest  of  the 
Divine  displeasure,  but  to  support  and  conduct  you  through 


260  MANNER  IN  TEE  PULPIT. 

the  darkness  and  trials  of  this  dread  hour  to  the  light  and 
glories  of  eternity.  Oh,  brethren  !  delay  not  until  the  last 
moment ;  sue  for  mercy,  lest  the  door  be  shut." 

Another  of  the  obvious  elements  of  warmth  in  expres- 
sion proceeds  from  sincerity  of  conviction  on  the  part  of 
the  speaker.  It  is  the  conviction  of  the  truth  of  what  he 
utters  which  leads  to  earnestness  of  feeling  and  telling  ex- 
pression. The  speaker  half-convinced  can  speak  with  but 
a  partial  degree  of  power ;  but,  if  thoroughly  persuaded, 
he  is  inflamed  with  an  expressive  earnestness  which  nothing 
else  can  awaken.  This  accounts  for  his  warmth  of  manner. 
This  quality  may  be  well  illustrated  by  the  following  selec- 
tion from  one  of  Kobertson's  sermons  : 

Conscience. — F.  W.  Rolertson. 

''You  will  observe  in  all  this  the  terrible  supremacy  of 
conscience.  There  was  struck  a  chord  deep  in  the  nature 
of  these  men  [i.  e.,  the  possessors  of  curious  books  at  Ephe- 
sus],  and  it  vibrated  in  torture.  They  could  not  bear  their 
own  secret,  and  they  had  no  remedy  but  immediate  confes- 
sion. It  is  this  arraigning  accuser  within  the  bosom  that 
compels  the  peculator,  after  years  of  concealed  theft,  to 
send  back  the  stolen  money  to  his  employer,  with  the 
acknowledgment  that  he  has  suffered  years  of  misery.  It 
was  this  that  made  Judas  dash  down  his  gold  in  the  Temple, 
and  go  and  hang  himself.  It  is  this  that  again  and  again 
has  forced  the  murderer  from  his  unsuspected  security  in 
social  life  to  deliver  himself  up  to  justice,  and  to  choose  a 
true  death  rather  than  the  dreadful  secret  of  a  false  life. 
Observe  how  mightily  our  moral  nature  works,  for  health 
and  peace,  if  there  be  no  obstruction ;  but  for  disease  and 
torture  if  it  be  perverted." 

The  warnings  of  Dr.  Chalmers,  given  below,  also  serve 
as  an  example  of  earnestness  : 


ESSENTIAL  REQUISITES  FOR  EFFECTIVENESS.  261 

Christian  Warning. — CJiahn ers. 

''Perhaps  it  may  have  been  little  thought  of,  in  the 
days  of  careless  and  thoughtless  and  thankless  unconcern 
which  you  have  spent  hitherto,  but  I  call  upon  you  to  think 
of  it  now,  to  lay  it  seriously  to  heart,  and  no  longer  to  de- 
lay when  the  high  waters  of  death  and  judgment  and 
eternity  are  thus  set  so  evidently  before  you,  and  the  tidings 
wherewith  I  am  charged ;  the  blood  lieth  upon  your  own 
head,  and  not  upon  mine,  if  you  will  not  listen  to  them. 
The  object  of  my  coming  among  you  is  to  let  you  know 
what  more  things  are  to  come  ;  it  is  to  carry  you  beyond 
the  regions  of  sight  and  sense,  to  the  regions  of  faith,  and 
to  assure  you,  in  the  name  of  Him  who  can  not  lie,  that  as 
sure  as  the  hour  for  the  laying  the  body  in  the  grave  comes, 
so  surely  will  also  come  the  hour  of  the  spirit  returning  to 
Him  who  gave  it.  Yes,  the  day  of  the  final  reckoning  will 
come,  and  the  appearance  of  the  Son  of  God  in  heaven,  and 
His  mighty  angels  around  Him,  will  come,  and  the  opening 
of  the  books  will  come,  and  the  standing  of  men  of  all 
generations  before  the  judgment-seat  will  come,  and  the 
solemn  passing  of  that  sentence  which  is  to  fix  your  destiny 
for  eternity  will  come." 

Cordiality  of  expression  is  an  exhibition  of  the  warmth 
of  the  interest  felt  in  the  subject.  We  know  the  difliculty 
of  directing  our  thoughts  at  all  times  in  obedience  to  the 
will.  It  is  still  more  difficult  to  control  and  order  our  feel- 
ings. But  if  any  will-power  can  be  made  to  move  the  heart 
to  a  positive  degree  of  cordial  interest,  that  should  be  exer- 
cised to  the  uttermost  to  exhibit  such  a  degree  of  "warmth." 
And  one  of  the  best  methods  of  making  the  heart  readily 
responsive  for  the  purposes  of  expression  is  practice  upon 
such  passages  as  the  following.  We  still  find  warnings 
interspersed,  but  they  are  stated  in  a  cordial,  friendly 
manner. 


2G2  MANNER  IN  THE  PULPIT. 

Forgiveness  of  Injuries. — Massillon. 
"  But  I  go  still  further,  and  entreat  you  to  listen  to  me. 
I  admit  your  brother  to  have  more  faults  than  even  you 
accuse  him  of  having.  Alas  !  you  are  so  gentle  and  so 
friendly  toward  those  from  whom  you  expect  your  fortune 
and  your  establishment,  and  whose  temper,  haughtiness, 
and  manner  shock  you.  You  bear  with  all  their  pride, 
their  repulses,  their  scorns  ;  you  swallow  all  their  inequali- 
ties and  caprices  ;  you  are  never  disheartened ;  your  pa- 
tience is  always  greater  than  your  antipathy  and  repug- 
nance, and  you  neglect  nothing  to  please.  Ah  !  if  you  re- 
garded your  brother  as  he  upon  whom  depends  your  eter- 
nal salvation,  as  he  to  whom  you  are  to  be  indebted,  not 
for  a  fortune  of  dross,  and  an  uncertain  establishment,  but 
for  the  fortune  even  of  your  eternity,  would  you  follow, 
with  regard  to  him,  the  caprice  of  your  fancy  ?  Would 
you  not  conquer  the  unjust  antipathy  which  estranges  you 
from  him  ?  Would  you  suffer  so  much  in  putting  your 
inclinations  in  unison  with  your  eternal  interests,  and  in 
doing  upon  yourself  so  useful  and  so  necessary  a  violence  ? 
You  bear  with  everything  for  the  world,  and  for  vanity ; 
and  you  cry  out.  How  hard  !  from  the  moment  that  a 
single  painful  proceeding  is  exacted  of  you  for  eternity." 

A  full  degree  of  warmth  implies  enthusiasm  on  the  part 
of  the  speaker,  a  degree  of  feeling  most  important  to  pos- 
sess, if  we  would  have  the  power  to  pour  into  other  hearts 
the  feelings  which  inspire  our  own.  The  enthusiastic 
speaker  carries  his  audience  with  him,  for  his  whole  ex- 
pression is  contagious,  and  the  hearers  are  swept  along  by 
the  full  tide  of  feeling  which  the  speaker's  interest  creates. 

Christian  Courage. — Moodie. 
"  The  heathen,  unsupported  by  those  prospects  which 
the  Gospel  opens,  might  be  supposed  to  have  sunk  under 
every  trial,  yet,  even  among  them,  was  sometimes  displayed 


ESSENTIAL  REQUISITES  FOR  EFFECTIVENESS  263 

an  exalted  virtue — a  virtue  wliicli  no  interest,  no  clanger, 
could  shake  ;  a  virtue  which  could  triumph  amidst  tor- 
tures and  death  ;  a  virtue  which,  rather  than  forfeit  its 
conscious  integrity,  could  be  content  to  resign  its  conscious- 
ness for  ever.  And  shall  not  the  Christian  blush  to  repine? 
the  Christian  from  before  whom  the  veil  is  removed  ?  to 
whose  eyes  are  revealed  the  glories  of  heaven  ? 

"  Your  indulgent  Ruler  doth  not  call  you  to  run  in  vain, 
or  to  labor  in  vain.  Every  difficulty,  and  every  trial,  that 
occurs  in  your  path,  is  a  fresh  opportunity  presented  by 
His  kindness  of  improving  the  happiness  after  which  he 
hath  taught  you  to  aspire.  By  every  hardship  which  you 
sustain  in  the  wilderness,  you  secure  an  additional  portion 
of  the  promised  land.  What  though  the  combat  be  severe? 
A  kingdom,  an  everlasting  kingdom,  is  the  jjrize  of  victory. 
Look  forward  to  the  triumph  which  awaits  you,  and  your 
courage  will  revive.  Fight  the  good  fight,  finish  your 
course,  keep  the  faith  ;  there  is  laid  up  for  you  a  crown  of 
righteousness,  which  the  Lord,  the  righteous  Judge,  shall 
give  unto  you  at  that  day.  "What  though  in  the  navigation 
of  life  you  have  sometimes  to  encounter  the  war  of  ele- 
ments ?  What  though  the  winds  rage,  though  the  watei's 
roar,  and  dangers  threaten  around  ?  Behold,  at  a  dis- 
tance, the  mountains  appear  ;  your  friends  are  impatient 
for  your  arrival  ;  already  the  feast  is  prepared  ;  and  tlie 
rage  of  the  storm  shall  serve  only  to  waft  you  sooner  to  the 
haven  of  rest.  No  tempests  assail  those  blissful  regions 
which  approach  to  view  ;  all  is  peaceful  and  serene  ;  there 
you  shall  enjoy  eternal  comfort  ;  and  the  recollection  of 
the  hardships  which  you  now  encounter  shall  heighten  the 
felicity  of  better  days." 

From  "The  Offers  and  Ohlifjations  of  the  Cross.'" — Bp. 
William  Croswell  Doane. 

"  In  the  muugcr  of  the  stable  of  an  inn  at  Bethlehem 

a  new-born  child  is  laid.     There  are  with  it  but  the  meek 
12 


264  MANNER  IN  THE  PULPIT. 

mother  and  a  mild  and  meditative  man.  And  yet  a  com- 
pany of  shepherds  throng  the  door.  The  midnight  sky  is 
radiant  with  a  more  than  earthly  light.  The  music  of 
celestial  songs  dies  out  upon  the  ear.  There  is  a  fluttering 
above  it  as  of  angels'  wings,  and  all  the  air  is  fragrant  with 
an  angel's  breath.     '  Who  is  this  ? ' 

"There  is  a  stranger  in  Jerusalem.  He  has  no  house. 
He  has  no  home.  As  He  passes,  people  stop,  and  turn 
around  to  gaze  upon  the  loveliness  which  lights  His  coun- 
tenance. He  does  not  lift  His  voice  up  in  the  street,  but 
His  words  are  wisdom,  truth,  and  love.  He  looks  upon  the 
sick,  and  they  are  cured.  He  speaks  to  the  deaf,  and  they 
hear.  He  touches  the  blind,  and  they  see.  He  meets  a 
bier,  and  the  widow's  son  revives.  He  takes  a  dead  girl  by 
the  hand,  and  she  arises.  He  speaks  to  Lazarus  in  his 
grave,  and  he  comes  forth.     '  Who  is  this  ? ' 

''There  is  a  garden  over  the  brook  Kedron.  It  is  a 
sweet  and  solitary  place.  The  paschal  moon  is  broad 
and  bright  in  heaven.  In  a  secluded  clump  of  olive-trees 
there  is  one  prostrate,  in  an  agony  of  prayer.  He  is  alone. 
The  three  who  were  with  Him  are  sleeping  by  them- 
selves. Three  times  He  falls  upon  the  earth,  and  every 
time  His  prayer  is  one  :  '  If  it  be  possible,  let  this  cup 
pass  from  me  ;  nevertheless,  not  as  I  will,  but  as  Thou 
wilt!'  As  He  rises  to  rejoin  the  slumbering  three,  we 
see  that  it  is  He  who  healed  the  broken  heart  at  ISTain, 
and  sent  the  lepers  back  to  their  deserted  homes.  '  Who 
is  this  ? ' 

"■  There  are  three  crosses  on  Mount  Calvary.  Upon  the 
outer  two  there  are  two  thieves,  in  writhing  anguish.  The 
central  sufferer  meekly  bows  His  head.  What  sacred  words 
break  from  His  pallid  lips  ?  '  Father,  forgive  them,  for  they 
know  not  what  they  do  ! '  And  again  :  '  Into  Thy  hands  I 
commend  my  spirit.'  And  again  :  '  It  is  finished.'  He  has 
breathed  out  His  life.     The  sun  is  dark.     The  earth  is 


ESSENTIAL  REQUISITES  FOR  EFFECTIVENESS.  265 

shaken.    The  rocks  are  rent.    The  graves  are  opened.    The 
dead  come  forth.     '  Who  is  this  ? ' 

"  In  a  garden  there  is  a  sepulchre.  It  is  hewn  from  the 
sohd  rock.  It  is  covered  with  a  massive  stone.  It  is  sealed 
with  Pilate's  seal.  It  is  a  new  tomb.  But  one  was  ever 
laid  in  it,  and  He  but  yesterday.  And,  that  His  sleep  may 
be  unbroken,  a  guard  of  Roman  soldiers  has  been  set  ujdou 
it..  Before  the  day  there  is  the  sound  of  feet  approaching 
it.  It  is  love's  pilgrimage,  and  women  are,  of  course,  the 
pilgrims.  They  would  weep  once  more  upon  their  darling. 
They  would  anoint  his  body  with  sweet  spices.  His 
memory  is  embalmed  in  their  hearts.  But  He  is  gone.  The 
seal  is  broke.  The  guard  are  as  dead  men.  The  stone  is 
rolled  away.     The  sleeper  has  arisen.     'Who  is  this?' 

"At  evening,  the  small  company  that  had  been  with 
Him  in  His  life,  and  were  bereaved  in  His  death,  are  gath- 
ered in  an  uj)per  room.  The  doors  are  shut.  Fear  mingles 
with  their  sorrow.  But,  while  they  talk  and  weep.  He 
stands  among  them.  The  doors  have  not  been  oijencd, 
and  yet  lie  is  there.  It  is  He,  for  they  have  seen  His 
wounds.  It  is  He,  for  they  have  heard  His  voice.  It  is 
He,  for  they  have  felt  His  peace.     '  Who  is  this  ? ' 

"  There  is  a  little  company  upon  Mount  Olivet.  There 
is  one  upon  whose  lips  they  hang,  upon  whose  face  their 
eyes  are  fixed,  whom  they  cling  to  as  about  to  leave  them. 
Again  the  heavens  are  opened.  Again  the  clouds  are  ra- 
diant with  the  light  from  the  immediate  throne.  Again 
there  is  the  fluttering  of  angelic  wings.  Again  there  is  the 
fragrance  of  angelic  breath,  and  He  ascends  to  heaven. 
They  gaze  up  after  Him.    But  He  is  gone.     '  Who  is  this  ? ' 

"  Upon  the  dullness  of  a  slumbering  world  a  trumpet 
rings  abroad  that  shakes  the  solid  earth.  The  heavens  are 
opened,  and  let  down  the  throne.  From  every  spot  which 
death  has  consecrated,  from  the  mountains,  from  the  val- 
leys, from  the  sea,  the  dead  come  forth.  They  make,  with 
all  that  live,  one  solemn,  endless  caravan.     They  gather  to 


2G6  MANNER  IN  TEE  PULPIT. 

one  place.  They  gaze  upon  one  object.  They  are  riveted 
with  one  thought.  Slowly  the  throne  descends.  Angelic 
hosts  accompany  it.  One  sits  on  it,  in  form  like  unto  the 
Son  of  Man.  His  hands  are  pierced.  His  feet  are  pierced. 
His  side  is  jiierced.  He  looks  on  that  innumerable  multi- 
tude, and  they  divide  in  silence,  such  as  human  heart  has 
never  felt,  and  are  for  ever  parted,  to  the  right  hand  and  to 
the  left,  sharers  with  Him  of  His  eternal,  glorious  king- 
dom, or  for  ever  exiled  from  His  presence  and  His  peace. 
'Who  is  this?'" 

' '  Beloved,  in  these  poor  sketches,  with  their  flickering 
lights  and  feeble  shadows,  you  behold  the  dim  prospective 
of  the  panorama  of  redemption.  What  a  revelation  of  the 
sinfulness  of  sin  !  What  a  demonstration  of  the  love  of 
God  !  What  other  words  so  sure  to  break  from  every 
heart  that  is  not  hardened  into  stone  as  those  of  holy  Paul  ? 
'  How  shall  we  escape,  if  we  neglect  so  great  salvation  ? ' 
Think  what  a  ruin  that  must  have  been  which  needed  such 
salvation.  Think  what  a  ruin  that  must  be  for  which  such 
salvation  shall  be  unavailing." 

If  the  speaker  is  to  express  in  full  degi-eo  warmth  of 
feeling,  he  must  also  have  the  faculty  of  giving  the  impress 
of  reality  to  all  he  says.  It  is  like  the  conviction  of  sin- 
cerity, but  even  more  clear  and  pointed  in  its  vivid  power 
of  making  truths  real.  He  literally  realizes  the  truth,  as 
the  English  people  use  that  word. 

The  Cliurcli  of  God. — Dr.  James  De  Koven. 

"1  see  a  vision  stately  fair  of  the  one  Church  of  God. 
Built  on  the  foundation  of  the  apostles  and  prophets,  with 
Jesus  Christ  for  its  chief  corner-stone,  I  see  it  rise  before 
me.  Built  in  its  walls  as  living  stones  are  the  martyrs  of 
God,  the  bishops  and  doctors,  the  poor  and  unknown,  little 
children  and  virgin  souls.  With  many  a  blow  and  biting 
sculpture  each  stone  is  laid.     Kow  one  and  now  another  is 


ESSEyriAL  REQUISITES  FOR  EFFECTIVENESS.  2.'>7 

called  to  take  liis  place — the  bishop  who  has  gone  to  his  rest, 
you  aud  I.  Unfinished  yet,  with  neither  sound  of  hammer 
nor  instrument  of  steel,  in  silence  wonderful,  it  rises  still. 
As  I  gaze,  the  mists  of  earth,  or  else  the  tears  that  blind 
my  eyes,  or  murky  clouds  that  gather  I  know  not  whence, 
shut  out  the  view.  But  as  I  strain  my  weary  sight,  lo  ! 
the  clouds  are  rifted,  and  from  heaven  descending  comes  the 
New  Jerusalem,  like  a  bride  adorned  for  her  husband.  The 
two  are  blended  into  one.  The  gates  are  pearl ;  the  streets 
are  gold  ;  the  crystal  waters  shine  ;  the  tree  of  life  is  full 
of  healing  leaves.  There  is  no  weary  controversy,  or  bitter 
words,  or  cruel  misunderstandings,  or  mistaken  divisions. 
There  are  hymns  that  know  no  discord,  worship  that  never 
ceases,  praise  that  never  ends,  and  the  Lamb  of  God  to  be 
our  joy  and  peace,  for  ever  and  ever." 

There  are  other  and  further  degrees  of  warmth  of  man- 
ner, but,  as  they  relate  chiefly  to  sudden  impulses,  or  in- 
spirations of  feeling,  and  do  not  wait  upon  ordinary  meth- 
ods, much  less  for  the  directions  of  rule,  are  not  recorded 
here.  They  are  like  the  scintillations  of  genins,  which  do 
not  sparkle  at  our  bidding,  but  which  flash  forth  in  fires  of 
their  own  lighting.  They  are  enkindling,  exhilarating,  or 
thrilling,  and  sometimes  produce  lasting  effects,  but  with 
results  more  commonly  evanescent,  and  belong  to  the  cate- 
gory of  things  extraordinary,  which,  should  they  be  fre- 
quently repeated,  would  speedily  sink  to  the  level  of  effects 
which,  because  they  are  common,  become  simply  ordinary. 
This  would  apply  to  many  of  tliose  startling  effects  which 
are  produced  by  popular  revival  preaching.  Many  of  them 
are  undoubtedly  genuine,  aside  from  all  questions  of  the 
propriety  of  their  use;  and  when  the  speaker,  like  the  Ital- 
ian, Gavazzi,  makes  use  of  them,  few  can  withstand  their 
power,  although  the  suppressed,  or  rather  condensed,  enthu- 
siasm of  tlie  style  of  Pere  Ilyacinthc  is  undoubtedly  a  safer 
model. 


2G8  MA^yFH  AV  TRE  PULPIT. 

4.  Grace. — It  is  the  preaclier's  duty  to  persuade  and 
attract  men,  as  well  as  to  convince,  to  arouse,  and  to  im- 
press them.  There  must  be  something  in  his  manner  which 
pleases,  or  he  can  not  win  a  hearing.  As  a  necessary  con- 
dition to  pleasing  effect,  there  must  be  nothing  in  the  voice 
which  repels.  All  harsh,  forbidding,  and  unsympathetic 
sounds  should  be  avoided  as  destructive  to  the  true  effect. 
We  are  such  victims  of  habit  that  even  the  most  shocking 
and  disagreeable  uses  of  the  voice  may  become  customs, 
and  the  speaker  himself  be  in  utter  ignorance  of  the  defect. 
The  student  is  here  referred  to  what  has  been  said  on  this 
topic  under  the  head  of  "Quality"  of  voice.  So,  too, 
with  action.  The  sjDeaker  may  not  be  naturally  graceful, 
but,  with  slight  attention  to  the  matter,  he  can  avoid 
being  ungainly,  awkward,  grotesque,  and  inexpressive.  The 
hhits  under  the  head  of  "Gesture"  may  be  found  helpful 
in  this  respect.  It  is  far  from  the  purpose  of  the  author 
to  suggest  any  assumed  " honey-tongued  eloquence"  as  the 
ideal  standard,  or  that  the  speaker  should  make  it  apparent 
that  he  has  devoted  himself  very  assiduously  to  the  study 
of  Hogarth's  line  of  beauty  in  action,  or  that  he  has  ac- 
quired the  "start  theatric  practiced  at  the  glass."  But  as 
the  message  which  he  has  to  deliver  is  winning  and  attrac- 
tive, so  should  he  study  to  acquire  such  a  presentation  of  it 
as  shall  not  seem  utterly  at  variance  with  the  character  of 
his  theme. 

Uase  of  expression  is  one  of  the  leading  constituents  of 
a  graceful  delivery.  It  arises  from  perfect  self-possession, 
and  renders  the  utterance  mellifluous  and  the  action  flow- 
ing. All  appearance  of  effort  impairs  this  element  of 
power.  Even  in  the  strongest  uses  of  the  voice  it  must 
still  appear  that  they  have  not  been  produced  with  great 
exertion.  All  anxiety,  nervousness,  and  timidity  are  just 
so  much  loss  of  power,  because  the  speaker  is  ill  at  ease. 
To  be  fussy  and  fidgety  is  simply  unpardonable.  To  be 
clutching  and  grasj)ing  and  scratching  in  action,  to  be 


ESSEXTIAL  REQUISITES  FOR  EFFECTIYEXESS  2G9 

wriggling  and  twisting  and  jerking  and  jumping  in  the 
moTements  of  the  body  in  the  pulpit,  is  utterly  at  variance 
with  the  calm,  deep  thinking  and  the  chastened  and  rever- 
ential feeling  of  the  Christian  philosoj^her  proclaiming 
Divine  truth.  But  wretched  as  all  these  substitutes  are  for 
ease  of  manner,  they  had  better  all  be  tolerated  than  that 
the  idea  of  dignified  ease  should  so  restrain  the  style  as  to 
deprive  it  of  all  inspiriting  effect. 

If  the  succeeding  extract  is  delivered  in  the  same  man- 
ner in  which  it  is  written,  it  will  partake  of  the  graceful 
ease  of  its  literary  style  : 

Eve7i  ing.  — A  Uso  n. 

"  There  is  an  even-tide  in  the  day — an  hour  when  the 
sun  retires  and  the  shadows  fall,  and  when  Nature  assumes 
the  appearance  of  soberness  and  silence.  It  is  an  hour 
from  which  everywhere  the  thoughtless  fly,  as  peopled  only 
in  their  imagination  with  images  of  gloom  ;  it  is  the  hour, 
on  the  other  hand,  which,  in  every  age,  the  wise  have  loved, 
as  bringing  with  it  sentiments  and  affections  more  valuable 
than  all  the  splendors  of  the  day. 

"Its  first  imjiression  is  to  still  all  the  turbulence  of 
thought  or  passion  which  the  day  may  have  brought  forth. 
We  follow  with  our  eye  the  descending  sun,  we  listen  to 
the  decaying  sounds  of  labor  and  of  toil,  and,  when  all  the 
fields  are  silent  around  us,  we  feel  a  kindred  stillness  to 
breathe  upon  our  souls,  and  to  calm  them  from  the  agita- 
tions of  society. 

"From  this  first  impression  there  is  a  second  which 
naturally  follows  it  :  in  the  day  we  are  living  with  men,  in 
the  even-tide  we  begin  to  live  with  nature  ;  we  see  the  world 
withdrawn  from  us ;  the  shades  of  night  darken  over  the 
habitations  of  men,  and  we  feel  ourselves  alone.  It  is  an 
hour  fitted,  as  it  would  seem,  by  ITim  who  made  us,  to  still, 
but  with  gentle  hand,  the  throb  of  every  unruly  passion  and 
the  ardor  of  every  impure  desire  ;  and,  while  it  veils  for  a 


270  MANNER  IN  THE  PULPIT. 

time  the  world  that  misleads  us,  to  awaken  in  our  hearts 
those  legitimate  affections  which  the  heat  of  the  day  may 
have  dissolved." 

Serenity,  akin  to  ease,  and  yet  with  a  very  perceptible 
shade  of  difference,  forms  another  element  of  graceful 
manner.  The  excess  of  it  degenerates  into  mere  blandness, 
which  is  peculiarly  offensive.  The  absence  of  it  allows  no 
composure  or  sense  of  rest  to  the  speaker  or  the  hearer.  It 
is  the  result  of  profound  and  elevated  thought,  upon  which 
the  mind  rests  with  satisfaction  and  pleasure.  Fitful  ac- 
tion and  impulsive  utterance  would  be  at  variance  with  this 
characteristic,  and,  like  the  glowing  hues  of  the  setting 
sun  to  the  eye,  it  suffuses  the  whole  manner  with  a  tran- 
quillity and  a  beauty  grateful  to  the  ear.  The  hurried, 
business-like  air,  as  the  habitual  manner  of  some  speakers, 
would  seem  to  show  that  they  never  possessed  their  souls  in 
peace.  We  can  not  take  the  eternal  verities  of  the  Chris- 
tian faith  and  auction  them  off  in  our  speech  as  though 
we  were  cheapening  merchandise.  We  can  not  soar  to  the 
serene  heights  of  Christian  truth,  we  can  not  lift  our  hearts 
and  minds  to  Christ,  and  with  him  continually  dwell  and 
draw  others  heavenward,  without  the  tranquillity  of  spirit 
which  manifests  itself  in  placidity  of  expression. 

Age. — Godman. 

"Now  comes  the  autumn  of  life,  the  season  of  the 
'sere  and  yellow  leaf.'  The  suppleness  and  mobility  of 
the  limbs  diminish,  the  senses  are  less  acute,  and  the 
impressions  of  external  objects  are  less  remarked.  The 
fibers  of  the  body  grow  more  rigid,  the  emotions  of  the 
mind  are  more  calm  and  uniform,  the  eye  loses  its  lus- 
trous keenness  of  expression.  The  mind  no  longer  roams 
abroad  with  its  original  excursiveness  ;  the  power  of  im- 
agination is,  in  great  degree,  lost.  Experience  has  robbed 
external  objects  of  their  illusiveness ;  the  thoughts  come 


FSSEJTIAL  REQUISITES  FOR  EFFEGTIVEXESS.  271 

home  ;  it  is  the  age  of  reflection.  It  is  the  period  iu  which 
we  receiA'e  the  just  tribute  of  veneration  and  confidence 
from  our  fellow-men,  if  we  have  so  lived  as  to  deserve  it, 
and  are  entitled  to  the  respect  and  eonfidenee  of  the 
younger  portion  of  mankind,  in  exact  proportion  to  the 
manner  in  which  our  own  youth  has  been  spent,  and  our 
maturity  improved." 

Sympafhii  is  pleasing,  and,  therefore,  belongs  to  grace- 
fulness of  manner.  All  the  more  tender,  gentler,  and  per- 
sonal feelings  will  find  expression  thus.  Of  all  the  winning 
powers  of  speech,  sympathy  is  the  greatest.  It  is  appar- 
ent through  this,  that  the  speaker  literally  feels  with  and 
for  his  hearer.  It  at  once  establishes  community  of  inter- 
est, and  awakens  that  sense  of  kinship  in  feeling  and  in 
life's  experience  which  induces  the  hearer  to  yield  himself 
captive  to  the  speaker's  power,  knowing  that  he  will  lead 
him  to  interpretations  of  his  own  thoughts  and  feelings, 
or  to  those  by  which  he  would  enlarge  the  scope  of  his 
own  sympathies.  The  speaker  using  such  power  has  but 
to  touch  the  chords  of  the  human  heart,  and  they  respond 
in  sympathetic  vibration.  The  sense  of  strangeness  is,  by 
this  union,  immediately  removed,  and  the  listener  feels,  as 
it  were,  a  friendly  interest  in  the  speaker.  The  practice 
of  reading  and  writing  upon  themes  which  develop  the 
tender  emotions  is  serviceable  in  creating  a  standard  of 
style  for  study.  Where  this  element  of  manner  is  culti- 
vated at  the  expense  of  an  equal  balance  of  the  other  ele- 
ments of  expression,  the  result  is  unfortunate.  The  ex- 
treme sensibility  which  renders  the  speaker  susceptible,  and 
nothing  more,  loses  its  due  degree  of  power.  Manliness 
in  the  style,  under  this  excessive  defect,  gives  place  to 
effeminacy,  and  extreme  tenderness  of  feeling  is  liable  to 
sink  into  the  habit  of  the  loccping  utterance.  As  one  has 
justly  said,  "infirmity  of  the  lachrymal  glands  is  not 
reckoned  as  one  of  the  Christian  graces." 


272  MANFER  m  TEE  PULPIT. 

From  "Enigmas  of  Life.''^ — Greg. 

"When  the  portals  of  this  world  have  been  jjassed, 
when  time  and  sense  have  been  left  behind,  and  this  "  body 
of  death  "  has  dropped  away  from  the  liberated  soul,  every- 
thing which  clouded  the  perceptions,  which  dulled  the 
vision,  which  drugged  the  conscience,  while  on  earth,  will 
be  cleared  off  like  a  morning  mist.  ^Ye  shall  see  all  things 
as  they  really  are — ourselves  and  our  sins  among  the  num- 
ber. No  other  punishment,  whether  retributive  or  jjurga- 
torial,  will  be  needed.  Naked  truth,  unfilmed  eyes,  will 
do  all  that  the  most  righteous  vengeance  could  desire. 
Every  now  and  then  we  have  a  glimpse  of  such  perceptions 
while  on  earth.  Times  come  to  all  of  us  when  the  passions, 
by  some  casual  influence  or  some  sobering  shock,  have  been 
wholly  lulled  to  rest,  when  all  disordered  emotions  have 
drunk  rejjose 

'From  the  cool  cisterns  of  the  midnight  air,' 
and  when,  for  a  few  brief  and  ineffectual  instants,  the  tempta- 
tions which  have  led  us  astray,  the  pleasures  for  which  we 
have  bartered  away  the  future,  the  desires  to  which  we  have 
sacrificed  our  peace,  appear  to  us  in  all  their  wretched  folly 
and  miserable  meanness.  From  our  feelings  theri  we  may 
form  a  faint  imagination  of  what  our  feelings  will  be  here- 
after, when  this  occasional  and  imperfect  glimpse  shall  have 
become  a  perpetual  flood  of  light,  irradiating  all  the  dark- 
est places  of  our  earthly  pathway,  piercing  through  all 
veils,  scattering  all  delusions,  burning  up  all  sophistries  ; 
when  the  sensual  man,  all  desires  and  appetites  noio  utterly 
extinct,  shall  stand  amazed  and  horror-struck  at  the  low 
promptings  to  which  he  once  yielded  himself  up  in  such 
ignominious  slavery,  and  shall  sink  in  loathing  and  shame 
from  the  reflected  image  of  his  own  animal  brutality ; 
when  the  hard,  grasping,  sordid  man,  come  now  into  a  world 
Inhere  ivealth  can  purchase  nothing,  where  gold  has  no  splen- 
dors and  luxury  no  meaning,  shall  be  almost  unable  to  com- 


ESSENTIAL  REQUISITES  FOR  EFFECTIVENESS.  273 

preheud  liow  lie  could  ever  have  valued  such  unreal  goods  ; 
when  the  malignant,  the  passionate,  the  cruel  man,  every- 
tJiing  luliich  called  forth  Ids  vices  tioiv  sivept  away  with  the 
former  existence,  shall  appear  to  himself  as  he  appeared  to 
others  upon  earth,  shall  hate  himself  as  others  hated  him 
upon  earth.  We  shall  see,  judge,  feel  about  all  things  there 
perfectlv  and  constantly,  as  we  saw,  Judged,  and  felt  about 
them  partially  in  our  rare  better  and  saner  moments  here. 
We  shall  think  that  we  must  have  been  mad  if  we  did  not 
too  well  know  that  we  had  been  willful.  Every  urgent  ap- 
petite, every  boiling  passion,  every  wild  ambition,  which 
obscured  and  confused  our  reason  here  below,  will  have 
been  burnt  away  in  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death ; 
every  subtle  sophistry  with  which  we  blinded  or  excused 
ourselves  on  earth  will  have  vanished  before  the  clear 
glance  of  a  disembodied  spirit ;  nothing  will  intervene  be- 
tween us  and  the  truth.  Stripped  of  all  the  disguising 
drapery  of  honeyed  words  and  false  refractions,  we  shall  see 
ourselves  as  we  are  ;  we  shall  judge  ourselves  as  God  has 
always  judged  us.  Our  lost  or  misused  opportunities  ;  our 
forfeited  birthright ;  our  glorious  possibility,  ineffable  in 
its  glory  ;  our  awful  actuality,  ineffable  in  its  awfulness  ; 
the  nature  which  God  gave  us,  the  nature  we  have  made 
ourselves  ;  the  destiny  for  which  He  designed  us,  the  des- 
tiny to  which  we  have  doomed  ourselves — all  these  things 
will  grow  and  fasten  on  our  thoughts  till  the  contempla- 
tion must  terminate  in  madness,  were  not  madness  a  mercy 
belonging  to  the  world  of  flesh  alone." 

In  closing  this  discussion  upon  manner,  the  student  will 
realize,  as  in  other  parts  of  this  treatise,  the  extreme  difli- 
culty  of  describing  sound,  and  defects  of  manner,  by  the 
use  of  words  alone.  But  it  is  hoped  that  some  thought 
has  been  awakened,  in  connection  with  this  topic,  Avhich 
may  be  found  serviceable.  If  it  shall  assist  in  self-criticism, 
it  will  serve  as  a  test  by  Avhich  the  speaker  can  recognize 


274  MAFXER  IN  TEE  PULPIT. 

the  elements  of  Iiis  own  effectiveness,  or  show  reason  for 
the  want  of  it,  should  it  be  lacking.  If,  for  instance,  after 
reviewing  the  tojoic  of  "life,'''  and  reading  experimentally 
the  illustrative  extracts  under  that  head,  he  can  satisfy  him- 
self that  he  possesses  what  will  be  reasonably  required  of 
this  animating  effect;  and  if  he  will  pursue  a  similar  course 
under  all  the  divisions  of  the  present  topic,  he  will  find 
that  he  has  at  hand  elements  which  will  guide  him  in  the 
formation  of  an  expressive  manner.  The  object  is,  of 
course,  'Ho  hold  the  mirror  up  to  nature,"  and,  in  the 
light  of  such  reflection,  the  speaker  may,  in  his  study, 
properly  thus  catechise  himself  :  "Have  I  sufficient  flw^wa- 
tion  ?  Am  I  impressively  forcihle  ?  Is  my  style  cordial 
enough  ?  And  am  I  so  far  ^leasing  as  a  speaker  that  I  can 
say  that  there  is  nothing  repellant  in  my  manner  ?  " 


CIIAPTEK  II. 

GESTURE. 

The  public  speaker  should  remember  that  everything 
pertaining  to  his  voice,  action,  posture,  or  dress,  relates 
immediately  to  expression.  The  embattlements  of  the 
pulpit  do  not  protect  him  from  this.  Even  if  the  body  be 
almost  hidden  from  view,  the  effect  of  the  right  bearing  is 
still  apparent  in  the  carriage  of  the  shoulders,  the  chest, 
and  the  head ;  and  there  is  the  language  of  facial  exj^res- 
sion,  and  the  graphic  gesture  of  the  hand.  Speech  is  to  be 
made  not  only  audible,  but  also  visible  in  action.  To  dis- 
regard any  of  these  effects,  or  to  convert  that  which  was 
meant  to  be  expressively  communicative  into  positive  sub- 
version of  its  appointed  use  (whether  it  follows  from  the 
perversions  of  bad  habit  or  of  false  taste),  this  is  to  be  at 
variance  with  Nature,  and  needlessly  to  imj^air  the  speaker's 


GESTURE. 


',iO 


po^^ver.  Let  him  then  rcniGmber  that,  as  a  comnmuicatiTe 
creature,  he  is  to  make  his  voice  and  his  action  naturally, 
effectively,  and  appropriately  expressive. 

The  precise  degree  of  power  in  expression  will,  of  course, 
be  greatly  varied,  according  to  the  temperament  of  the  in- 
dividual. To  some,  reticence  is  as  natural  as  utterance  to 
others,  and  stillness  of  body  to  one  as  incessant  action  to 
another.  But  just  as  the  inexpressive  man  is  to  learn  tlie 
art  of  expression,  so  is  the  inactive  speaker  to  learn  the 
habit  of  action.  In  any  case,  the  action  should  be  ex- 
pressive, even  reserved  action  may  be  made  so,  and  every 
posture,  every  look,  every  gesture,  should  mean  something, 
and  should  be  made  to  enforce  or  convey  the  precise  mean- 
ing which  the  sjDeaker  intends,  and  no  other. 

The  Position  of  the  Body. — It  should  be  easily  balanced 
on  one  foot  or  the  other,  seldom  on  both  alike,  except  for 
sturdy  resistance  or  some  similar  action.  The  body  ex- 
presses repose  of  thought  or  feeling  when  the  position  is 
retired ;  when  thrown  forward,  activity  and  energy  is  the 
language  of  the  attitude.  No  one  position  should  be  as- 
sumed as  a  habit,  as  the  tranquillity  of  the  retired  position 
would,  if  long  sustained,  betray  a  want  of  earnestness,  and 
the  forward  position,  if  habitually  taken,  would  show  an 
earnestness  which  does  not  comport  with  more  quiet  ex- 
pression. Again,  the  retired  position,  for  repose,  if  carried 
too  far  back,  produces  the  effect  of  hauteur  in  the  bearing. 
The  erect  posture  is  preferable  to  any  other,  for  the  reason 
that  it  recognizes  propriety  and  self-respect  rather  tlian 
the  negligence  and  indifference  of  lounging  and  slouching 
attitudes.  The  chest  should  be  carried  square  to  the  audi- 
ence, and  no  ''  cold  shoulder"  should  be  turned  to  them. 
The  lungs  should  be  well  filled,  not  merely  as  an  aid  to 
expression,  but  also  as  characteristic  of  manly  and  dignified 
bearing. 

Carriage  of  the  head  has  much  to  do  with  the  impres- 
sion produced  in  public  speaking.     To  be  expressive  and 


276  MANNER  IN  THE  PULPIT. 

communicative,  it  should  be  held  erect  for  all  dignified 
and  impressive  effect ;  and  for  all  earnest  exj)ression  it  in- 
clines forward.  A  stiff  carriage  of  the  head  and  neck  gives 
a  post-like  appearance  to  this  part  of  the  body,  while  too 
much  vibration  detracts  from  the  dignity  and  force  of  the 
erect  bearing.  Some  speakers  have  the  unfortunate  habit 
of  beating  time  with  the  head,  by  which  tbey  mark  em- 
phatic passages.  This,  in  frequent  repetition,  gives  a  hoh- 
hing  effect,  which  is  only  ridiculous.  An  occasional  vibra- 
tion of  the  head  in  earnestness  is  natural,  but  the  loabbling 
or  boiuing  of  the  head  is  no  more  expressive  than  the  china 
image  of  the  mandarin. 

The  Fxpression  of  the  Face. — Every  speaker  in  the  pulpit 
is  supposed  to  be  superior  to  the  mere  vanity  of  "  looking 
pretty."  He  should  be  equally  careful,  if  he  can  possibly 
avoid  the  imputation,  not  to  look  ugly.  The  author  has 
known  speakers  who  were  not  themselves  conscious  of  these 
defects,  displaying  them  very  offensively  to  their  congrega- 
tions by  the  nervous  habit  of  facial  distortion.  One  clergy- 
man, who  is  inclined  to  anything  but  simpering  in  char- 
acter or  in  rhetorical  expression,  wears  a  nervous  smirk 
upon  his  countenance  whether  speaking  of  the  joys  of  his 
faith  or  the  torments  of  the  doomed ;  another,  by  distor- 
tion of  his  features,  would  give  a  strange  hearer  the  mis- 
taken impression  that  he  was  either  very  unhappy  when- 
ever he  proclaimed  his  message,  or  was  in  a  state  of  bodily 
pain,  which  ought  to  excuse  him  from  the  work.  If  the 
eye  and  the  face  and  the  body  all  agree  in  the  expression 
of  the  feeling  at  the  moment  conveyed,  harmony  of  effect 
and  unity  of  impression  are  the  result.  But,  where  the  ex- 
pressive powers  do  not  work  in  unison  or  in  harmony,  the 
power  of  expression  is  necessarily  impaired. 

The  Arm. — In  the  action  of  the  arm,  the  speaker,  in  his 
practice,  should  remember  that  the  simple  habit  of  moving 
the  arm  freely,  forcibly,  and  with  wide  sweeps,  will,  in  a 
short  time,  make  it  easy  for  him,  if  he  is  inclined  to  in- 


aESTURE.  277 

ertness  of  action,  to  respond  readily  to  the  promptings  of 
feeling.  This  gymnastic  exercise,  if  it  is  nothing  more, 
to  begin  with,  will  open  the  way  for  spontaneity  and  ex- 
pressiveness, when  the  impulse  of  action  comes  npon  the 
speaker.  It  is  because  the  muscles  have  not  been  exer- 
cised that  action  is  restrained.  The  arms  seem,  under 
some  circumstances,  ponderous,  the  joints  stiff,  and  action 
unnatural.  Much  of  this  may  be  avoided  by  the  simple  ex- 
ercises suggested. 

In  all  action  designed  to  make  speech  expressive,  the 
primary  laws  of  force,  freedom,  and  grace  should  be  ob- 
served. And  to  these  may  be  added  exjDressiveness  and 
propriety.  We  should  remember  that  gesture  is  not  a 
thing  assumed  independently  of  the  thought  expressed.  It 
is  simply  its  natural  accompaniment  and  picturesque  en- 
forcement of  it.  There  must  be  harmony,  therefore,  be- 
tween the  nature  of  the  thought  and  the  character  of  its 
descriptive  action.  If  they  do  not  harmonize  in  the  gen- 
eral effect,  one  element  vitiates  the  power  of  the  other. 
For  instance,  if  the  thought  be  emphatic,  and  the  gesture 
feeble,  or  the  reverse,  the  action  injures  and  does  not  help 
the  expression.  But  this  is  no  reason  why  the  speaker 
should  abstain  from  action,  because  he  has  not  learned  to 
employ  it  appropriately.  It  would  be  equally  fitting  for 
the  speaker  to  remain  silent,  because  his  voice  was  inex- 
pressively or  inappropriately  used,  as  that  his  arms  should 
hang  lifeless  at  his  side,  because  he  does  not  know  how  to 
use  them.  Observation  and  practice  will,  in  due  time, 
instinctively  create  expressive  power  in  action.  To  read  a 
sermon  as  an  essay,  is  to  imply  that  the  thoughts  have  not 
the  electric  power  to  move  men,  and  that  it  is  not  the  de- 
sign of  the  preacher  to  affect  their  characters  and  lives  to 
impel  them  toward  good,  to  restrain  them  from  evil,  and 
to  move  their  very  souls  ;  but  that  the  very  sermon  is  only 
a  refined  intellectual  essay  addressed  solely  to  the  reason, 
and  not  in  the  least  to  the  moral  and  motive  powers  of 


278  MAXXFR  m  THE  PULPIT. 

men.  The  arm  in  repose,  and  the  arm  in  appropriate  ac- 
tion, suggest  these  thoughts.  While,  however,  maintain- 
ing the  necessity  and  propriety  of  some  gesture,  we  should 
be  equally  anxious  to  avoid  unmeaning  redundancy  in  the 
mere  swaying  and  sweeping,  like  the  arms  of  the  windmill. 
Attention  to  the  primary  laws  already  suggested  will  pre- 
serve the  speaker  from  the  marked  defects.  Force,  free- 
dom, grace,  expressiveness,  and  propriety — if  the  gestures 
are  tested  by  these  principles,  they  can  not  be  far  astray. 
One  caution  is  in  place  here  :  The  habit  of  falling  into 
the  use  of  a  single  action  should  be  avoided,  whether  that 
be  the  clinched  fist  of  a  Chalmers,  the  index-finger  of  a 
Eandolph,  the  prone  hand  of  a  Choate,  or  the  vibratory, 
vertical  action  of  an  Everett.  Clerical  sjieakers,  being 
confined  to  a  manuscript,  within  the  circumscribed  limits 
of  an  ordinary  pulpit,  are  much  more  liable  to  fall  into 
habits  and  tricks  of  action  than  other  orators. 

The  Hand. — There  are  many  different  natural  positions, 
and  no  one  of  them  should  become  of  habitual  use,  but 
should  be  varied  one  with  another.  Each  position  has,  in 
different  lines  of  elevation,  depression,  and  extension,  its 
own  significance.  Would  that  every  clerical  speaker  could 
learn  by  his  own  practice  to  realize  that  the  hand  is  natu- 
rally as  expressive  as  the  eye  or  the  tongue.  The  only 
language  of  the  hapless  deaf-mutes  shows  this. 

Positions  of  the  Hand. — a.  Supine  [palm  up]. — This 
is  the  most  common  position  of  all,  because,  ordinarily,  it 
imparts,  asserts,  describes,  appeals,  tuelcomes.  Attention 
should  be  given  to  the  fitting  position  of  the  hand  su- 
pine. It  is  the  palm  of  the  hand  which  is  primarily  ex- 
pressive. That  should  be  held  so  that  it  may  be  plainly 
seen  by  the  audience.  To  screen  it,  by  partially  closing 
the  fingers,  is  not  only  to  give  feebleness  to  the  effect,  but 
actually  to  rob  the  gesture  of  its  designed  expression. 
No  gesture  can  be  eloquent  with  the  hand  partially  closed. 
The  force  of  feeling  which  impels  the  action  extends  to 


GESTURE.  279 

the  minor  joints,  as  well  as  the  larger  ones,  and  even  the 
tip  of  the  little  finger  has  eloquence  in  its  position, 
its  flexibility,  and  its  extension.  It  has  been  said  that 
the  hand  is  eloquent  in  proportion  to  the  length  of  line 
from  the  tip  of  the  little  finger  to  the  tip  of  the  thumb. 
This  will  not  imply  a  strained  position,  but  one  easily 
held. 

In  the  supine  position  the  two  middle  fingers  incline 
together,  as  tliey  are  moved  by  a  single  tendon.  The  fore- 
finger is  straight,  not  stiff,  the  little  finger  slightly  curved 
inward,  and  the  thumb  outward.  That  this  is  the  natural 
position  may  be  verified  by  reference  to  almost  any  of  the 
standard  works  of  art  in  sculpture  and  painting.  We 
can  not  insist  too  strongly  upon  this  free,  flexible  opening 
of  the  hand  for  impartation  of  thought.  The  feeble  po- 
sition, on  the  contrary,  of  the  fingers  inclined  inward  sug- 
gests the  receiving,  not  giving.  The  flexible  spring  of 
the  fingers  is  of  itself  expressive,  in  the  free  and  forcible 
opening  of  the  hand. 

h.  Hcuid prone  [palm  down]. — This  is  simply  the  same 
position  of  the  hand  as  above,  except  that  it  is  reversed. 
It  is  used  for  rei^ression,  redraint,  superjjosition,  and  some 
forms  of  dcscrijjtion. 

c.  Hand  vertical  [palm  perpendicular  and  outward] . — 
This  is  chiefly  used  for  repulsion,  resistance,  and  defense. 
The  same  relative  position  of  thumb  and  fingers  is  main- 
tained as  before. 

d.  Hand  clinched. — This  is  used  in  energy,  dcicrmina- 
tion,  boldest  assertion,  defiance,  and  belligerent  expression. 
The  awkward  habit  which  some  speakers  have  formed  of 
belaboring  the  sermon  or  the  pulpit  with  clinched  fist,  as 
if  to  arouse  these  insensate  things,  expresses  feeling  indeed, 
but  not  of  a  right  kind,  or  is  simply  misdirected  action. 

Both  hands  maybe  used  appropriately  in  the  same  posi- 
tions and  through  the  same  lines  with  increased  efCect,  if 
the  emphasizing  of  the  thought  requires  it. 


280  MANNER  IN  THE  PULPIT. 

The  index-finger  is  used  expressively  in  reference,  and 
may  occasionally  be  used  in  designation,  and  in  close  analy- 
sis in  argument. 

To  return  to  the  fuller  definition  of  the  characteristic 
princij)les  : 

Strict  attention  should  be  given  to  the  Jnst  degree  of 
force.  As  all  action  should  not  be  uniformly  forcible, 
neither  should  it  be  uniformly  gentle.  And,  if  the  gentle- 
ness becomes  feebleness,  it  will  be  better  to  have  no  action. 
A  speaker  inspired  with  an  energetic  and  forcible  thought 
should  feel  its  thrill  and  its  strong  impulses  throughout  the 
frame.  The  muscles  are  on  tension,  and  their  action  is 
energetic,  and  thus  he  emphasizes  his  thought.  It  may  be 
that  the  entire  frame  is  moved  with  the  force  of  the  action. 
How  different  from  the  cold,  inert,  impassive  speaker,  who 
stands  with  post-like  rigidity,  and  the  incommunicativeness 
of  a  sphinx,  save  his  voice.  Freedom,  if  it  be  not  exces- 
sive, is  one  of  the  pleasing  effects  in  action.  It  leads  to  a 
fnllness  of  scope  and  extension,  and  flowing  movement.  It 
is  as  though  nothing  but  a  sense  of  propriety  in  any  way 
restrained  the  sj^eaker.  All  gesture,  to  be  really  effective, 
must  be  free,  spirited,  and  unconstrained.  The  only  dan- 
ger under  the  impelling  of  this  principle  is  redundancy  in 
action,  which,  like  all  other  defects,  impairs  more  than  it 
strengthens  it.  Grace  is  simply  the  result  of  following 
out,  in  the  movement  of  every  joint,  the  curved  rather 
than  the  straight  line.  But  an  excessive  use  of  the  curved 
line,  while  it  would  encourage  freedom,  would  be  very  liable 
to  weaken  the  lines  of  force,  for  they  are  direct.  The 
speaker  must  learn  in  the  school  of  his  own  experience 
when  to  please  and  when  to  emphasize  by  his  action.  An 
excess  of  graceful  movement  would  be  like  the  excess  of 
agreeable  effects  in  the  use  of  the  voice — too  much  sweet- 
ening for  manly  taste.  But  the  avoidance  of  this  error 
does  not  excuse  anything  ungainly,  boorish,  or  awkward  in 
the  gesture  of  the  pulpit.     We  have  further  to  consider 


GESTURE.  2Sl 

that  some  gestures  may  be  peculiarly  expressive  which  are 
inappropriate  and  not  permissible.  Of  this  kind  would  be 
found  all  mimetic  action,  and  especially  the  low  comedy  of 
the  drama.  Some  of  the  popular  speakers  do  not  hesitate 
to  resort  to  devices  for  expression  which  would  be  unseemly 
in  any  place,  except  for  public  entertainment  of  an  inferior 
order. 

The  action  should  harmonize  with  the  entire  standard 
of  manner  in  the  pulpit,  which,  in  its  most  earnest  desire 
to  reach  men  effectively,  does  not  exceed  the  j^roprieties  of 
time  and  place,  and  the  character  of  the  sacred  office.  It 
is,  indeed,  a  possible  thing  to  carry  these  solemnizing  and 
restraining  thoughts  and  principles  too  far,  so  that  we  fail 
to  reach  men  in  a  manner  corresponding  to  their  every-day 
interests.  But  every  public  speaker,  as  a  herald  of  Divine 
truth,  must  see  that  he  does  not  lose  with  one  hand  what 
he  is  striving  to  grasp  with  the  other ;  that  he  does  not 
lower  the  standard  of  his  high  office,  and  does  not  degrade 
the  character  of  the  truth  he  proclaims,  by  any  unwisdom 
in  the  manner  of  its  presentation. 


MISCELLANEOUS  EXTRACTS. 


Trust. — Dean  Alford. 

"  I  know  not,  if  dark  or  bright 
Shall  be  my  lot ; 
If  that  wherein  my  hopes  delight 
Be  best  or  not. 

*'  It  may  be  mine  to  drag  for  years 
Toil's  heavy  chain, 
Or  day  or  night  my  meat  be  tears. 
On  bed  of  pain. 

*'  Dear  faces  may  surround  my  hearth 
With  smiles  and  glee, 
Or  I  may  dwell  alone,  and  mirth 
Be  strange  to  me. 

"  My  bark  is  wafted  from  the  strand 
By  breath  Divine, 
And  on  the  helm  there  rests  a  hand 
Other  than  mine. 

"  One  who  has  known  in  storms  to  sail 
I  have  on  board  ; 
Above  the  raging  of  the  gale 
I  have  my  Lord. 


MISCELLANEOUS  EXTRACTS.  2S3 

"He  holds  me  wlien  the  billows  smite — 
I  shall  not  fall  ; 
If  sharp,  'tis  short — if  long,  'tis  light — 
He  tempers  all. 

*'  Safe  to  the  land  !     Safe  to  the  land  ! 
The  end  is  this — 
And  then  with  Him  go  hand  in  hand 
Far  into  bliss." 

Night.  — James  Montgomery. 

"  Niffht  is  the  time  for  rest : 

How  sweet,  when  labors  close. 
To  gather  round  an  aching  breast 

The  curtain  of  repose. 
Stretch  the  tired  limbs,  and  lay  the  head 
Down  on  our  own  delightful  bed  ! 

*'  Night  is  the  time  for  dreams  : 

The  gay  romance  of  life, 
When  truth  that  is  and  truth  that  seems. 

Mix  in  fantastic  strife  ; 
Ah  !  visions  less  beguiling  far 
Thau  waking  dreams  by  daylight  arc  ! 

*'  Night  is  the  time  for  toil : 

To  ploAv  the  classic  field. 
Intent  to  find  the  buried  spoil 

Its  wealthy  furrows  yield  ; 
Till  all  is  ours  that  sages  taught, 
That  poets  sang,  and  heroes  wrought. 

*'  Night  is  the  time  to  weep  : 
To  wet  with  unseen  tears 
Those  graves  of  Memory,  where  sleep 
The  joy  of  other  years  ; 


284:  MISCELLANEOUS  EXTRACTS. 

Hopes  that  were  angels  at  their  birth 

But  died  when  young,  like  things  of  earth. 

"  Night  is  the  time  to  watch  : 
O'er  ocean's  dark  exj)anse 
To  hail  the  Pleiades,  or  catch 

The  full  moon's  earliest  glance, 
That  brings  into  the  homesick  mind 
All  we  have  loyed  and  left  behind. 

''Night  is  the  time  for  care  : 
Brooding  on  hours  misspent, 
To  see  the  spectre  of  Despair 

Come  to  our  lonely  tent ; 
Like  Brutus,  midst  his  slumbering  host. 
Summoned  to  die  by  Ctesar's  ghost. 

"  Night  is  the  time  to  think  : 

When  from  the  eye  the  soul 
Takes  flight ;  and  on  the  utmost  brink 

Of  yonder  starry  pole 
Discerns  beyond  the  abyss  of  night 
The  dawning  of  uncreated  light. 

"  Night  is  the  time  to  pray  : 

Our  Saviour  oft  withdrew 
To  desert  mountains  far  away  ; 

So  will  his  followers  do — 
Steal  from  the  throng-to  haunts  untrod. 
And  commune  there  alone  with  God. 

"  Night  is  the  time  for  Death  : 
When  all  around  is  peace, 
Calmly  to  yield  the  weary  breath. 

From  sin  and  suffering  cease. 
Think  of  heaven's  bliss,  and  give  the  sign 
To  parting  friends — such  death  be  mine." 


MISCELLANEOUS  EXTRACTS.  285 

To  a  Waterfowl. — Bryant. 

"  Wliitlier,  midst  failing  dew, 
Wliile  glow  the  lieaveus  with  the  last  steps  of  day, 
Far,  through  their  rosy  depths,  dost  thou  pursue 
Thy  solitary  way  ? 

"  There  is  a  Power  whose  care 
Teaches  thy  way  along  that  pathless  coast — 
The  desert  and  illimitable  air — 

Lone  wandering,  but  not  lost. 

''  Thou'rt  gone,  the  abyss  of  heaven 
Hath  swallowed  up  thy  form  ;  yet,  on  my  heart 
Deeply  hath  sunk  the  lesson  thou  hast  given. 
And  shall  not  soon  depart. 

"  He  who,  from  zone  to  zone, 
Guides  through  the  boundless  sky  thy  certain  flight, 
In  the  long  way  that  I  must  tread  alone. 
Will  lead  my  steps  aright." 

Milton. — Prof.  Reed. 

"  To  return  to  Milton.  He  whose  delight  it  had  once 
been  to  roam  through  woods,  and  over  the  green  fields,  was 
now  chained  by  blindness  to  the  sunny  porch  of  a  suburban 
dwelling.  He  whose  heart's  pulse  was  a  love  of  indepen- 
dence was  now  a  helpless  dependent  for  every  motion,  for 
all  communion  with  books ;  every  step  of  him  who  had 
walked  through  all  the  ways  of  life  so  firmly  was  at  the 
mercy  of  another.  His  spirit  was  darkened,  too,  with  dis- 
appointment in  his  countrymen,  and  with  bitter  memories 
of  domestic  discords.  As  the  '  Comus '  was  a  beautiful  re- 
flection of  happy  youth,  the  '  Samson  Agonistes '  shadows 
forth  the  gloomy  grandeur  of  the  poet's  old  age.  In  some 
passages  there  is  the  breaking  out  of  a  bitter  agony  ;  but  a 
stern  magnanimity  pervades  the  poem— a  high-souled  pathos 


2S6  MISCELLANEOUS  EXTRACTS. 

befitting  the  sorrows  of  a  vanquished,  captive  giant.  With 
our  thoughts  of  the  hero  of  the  tragedy  mingle  thoughts 
of  the  poet  himself,  for  what  was  John  Milton  in  the  de- 
generate days  of  Charles  the  Second  but  a  blind  Samson 
m  the  citadel  of  the  Philistines  ?  In  the  Avords  the  hero 
speaks,  we  seem  to  hear  the  voice  of  Milton's  own  spirit, 
subdued  to  a  gentle  melancholy  : 

"  '  I  feel  my  genial  spirits  droop, 

•  ••••• 

My  race  of  glory  run,  and  race  of  shame  ; 
And  I  shall  shortly  be  with  them  that  rest.'" 

Despised  and  Rejected. — C  G.  Rosctti. 

"  My  sun  has  set,  I  dwell 

In  darkness  as  a  dead  man  out  of  sight ; 
And  none  remain,  not  one,  that  I  should  tell 
To  him  mine  evil  plight 
This  bitter  night. 
I  will  make  fast  my  dooi', 
That  hollow  friends  may  trouble  me  no  more. 

"  'Friend,  open  to  Me.' — Who  is  this  that  calls  ? 
Nay,  I  am  deaf  as  are  my  walls  : 
Cease  crying,  for  I  will  not  hear 
Thy  cry  of  hope  or  fear. 
Others  were  dear, 

Others  forsook  me  :  what  art  thou  indeed 
That  I  should  heed 
Thy  lamentable  need  ? 
Hungry  should  feed, 
Or  stranger- lodge  thee  here  ? 

*'  '  Friend,  My  Feet  bleed  ; 
Open  thy  door  to  Me  and  comfort  Me.' 


MISCELLAXEOUS  EXTRACTS.  287 

I  will  not  open  ;  trouble  me  no  more. 

Go  on  thy  way  footsore, 

I  will  not  rise  and  open  unto  thee. 

*' '  Then  is  it  nothing  to  thee  ?     Open,  see 
"W'ho  stands  to  plead  with  thee. 
Open,  lest  I  should  pass  thee  by,vand  thou 
One  day  entreat  my  face 
And  howl  for  grace. 
And  I  be  deaf  as  thou  art  now. 
Open  to  Me.' 

"  Then  I  cried  out  upon  him  :  '  Cease, 
Leave  me  in  peace  ; 
Fear  not  that  I  should  crave 
Aught  thou  mayst  have. 
Leave  me  in  peace,  yea,  trouble  me  no  more, 
Lest  I  arise  and  chase  thee  from  my  door. 
What,  shall  I  not  be  let 
Alone,  that  thou  dost  vex  me  yet  ? ' 

*'  But  all  night  long  that  voice  spake  urgently  : 

'Open  to  Me.' 

Still  harping  in  mine  ears  : 

'Eise,  let  Me  in.' 

Pleading  with  tears  : 

'  Open  to  Me  that  I  may  come  to  thee.* 

While  the  dew  dropped,  while  the  dark  hours  were 
cold  : 
(( '  My  Feet  bleed,  see  My  Face. 

See  My  Hands  bleed  that  bring  thee  grace, 

My  Heart  doth  bleed  for  thcc. 

Open  to  Me. ' 

"  So  till  the  break  of  day  : 
Then  died  away 
13 


288  MISCELLANEOUS  EXTRACTS. 

That  voice,  in  silence  as  of  sorrow  ; 

Then  footsteps  echoing  like  a  sigh 

Passed  me  by, 

Lingering  footsteps  slow  to  pass. 

On  the  morrow 

I  saw  upon  the  grass 

Each  footprint  marked  in  blood,  and  on  my  door 

The  mark  of  blood  f orevermore. " 

From  "Enigmas  of  Life^ — Greg. 

"  Here  we  never  see  into  each  other's  souls  ;  characters 
the  most  opposite  and  incompatible  dwell  together  upon 
earth,  and  may  love  each  other  much,  unsuspicious  of  the 
utter  want  of  fundamental  harmony  between  them.  The 
aspiring  and  the  worldly  may  have  so  much  in  common, 
and  may  both  instinctively  conceal  so  much,  that  their  in- 
herent and  elemental  differences  may  go  undiscovered  to 
the  grave.  The  soul  that  will  be  saved  and  the  soul  that 
will  be  lost  may  cling  round  each  other  here  with  wild  affec- 
tion, all  unconscious  of  the  infinite  divergence  of  their 
future  destiny.  The  mother  will  love  her  son  with  all  the 
devotion  of  her  nature,  in  spite  or  in  ignorance  of  his  un- 
worthiness.  That  son  may  reciprocate  his  mother's  love, 
and  in  this  only  he  is  not  unworthy  ;  the  blindness  which 
is  kindly  given  us  hides  so  much,  and  affection  covers  such 
a  multitude  of  sins.  The  pure  and  holy  wife  and  the  frail 
and  sinful  husband  can  live  together  harmoniously  and  can 
love  fondly  here  below,  because  the  vast  moral  gulf  between 
them  is  mercifully  veiled  from  either  eye.  But  when  the 
great  curtain  of  ignorance  and  deception  shall  be  with- 
drawn, 'when  the  secrets  of  all  hearts  shall  be  made 
known,'  when  the  piercing  light  of  the  Spiritual  World 
shall  at  once  and  for  ever  disperse  those  clouds  which  have 
hidden  what  we  really  are  from  those  who  have  loved  us, 
and  almost  from  ourselves  ;  when  the  trusting  confidence 
pf  friendship  shall  discover  what  a  serpent  has  been  nour- 


MISGELLAKEOUS  EXTRACTS.  289 

islied  in  its  bosom  ;  when  the  yearning  mother  shall  perceive 
on  what  a  guilty  wretch  all  her  boundless  and  priceless 
tenderness  has  been  layished  ;  when  the  wife  shall  at  length 
see  the  husband  whom  she  cherished,  through  long  years 
of  self-denying  and  belicAang  love,  revealed  in  his  true 
colors,  a  wholly  alien  creature — what  a  sudden,  convulsive, 
ine-sitable,  because  natural,  separation  between  the  clean 
and  the  unclean  will  then  take  place  ! " 

Good-By. — Ralph  Waldo  Emerson. 

"  Good-by,  proud  world,  I'm  going  home  : 
Thou  art  not  my  friend,  and  I'm  not  thine. 
Long  through  thy  weary  crowds  I  roam  ; 
A  river-ark  on  the  ocean  brine, 
Long  I've  been  tossed  like  the  driven  foam, 
But  now,  i^roud  world,  I'm  going  home. 

"I'm  going  to  my  own  hearth-stone. 
Bosomed  in  yon  green  hills  alone, 
A  secret  nook  in  a  pleasant  land. 
Whose  groves  the  frolic  fairies  planned  ; 
Where  arches  green,  the  livelong  day, 
Echo  the  blackbird's  roundelay, 
And  vulgar  feet,have  never  trod 
A  spot  that  is  sacred  to  thought  and  God. 

''  0,  when  I  am  safe  in  my  sylvan  home, 
I  tread  on  the  pride  of  Greece  and  Eomo  ; 
And  when  I  am  stretched  beneath  the  pines, 
Where  the  evening  star  so  holy  shines, 
I  laugh  at  the  lore  and  the  pride  of  man, 
At  the  soi:)hist  schools,  and  the  learned  clan  ; 
For  what  are  they  all,  in  their  high  conceit, 
When  man  in  the  bush  with  God  may  meet." 


290  MISCELLANEOUS  EXTRACTS. 

Tacking  SJiip  off  Shore. —  W.  F.  Mitchell. 

"  The  weather  leach  of  the  topsail  shivers, 

The  bowlines  strain  and  the  lee  shrouds  slacken, 
The  braces  are  taut  and  the  lithe  boom  quivers. 

And  the  waves  with  the  coming  squall-cloud  blacken. 

**  Open  one  point  on  the  weather  bow 

Is  the  light-house  tall  on  Fire  Island  head  ; 
There's  a  shade  of  doubt  on  the  captain's  brow. 
And  the  pilot  watches  the  heaving  lead. 

''  I  stand  at  the  wheel,  and  with  eager  eye 
To  sea  and  to  sky  and  to  shore  I  gaze, 
Till  the  muttered  order  of  '  Full  and  by  ! ' 
Is  suddenly  changed  to  '  Full  for  stays  ! ' 

*'The  ship  bends  lower  before  the  breeze 

As  her  broadside  fair  to  the  blast  she  lays  ; 
And  she  swifter  springs  to  the  rising  seas 
As  the  pilot  calls,  '  Stand  by  for  stays  ! ' 

''  It  is  silence  all,  as  each  in  his  place, 

With  the  gathered  cord  in  his  hardened  hands. 
By  tack  and  bowline,  by  sheet  and  brace. 
Waiting  the  watchword  impatient  stands. 

"  And  the  light  on  Fire  Island  head  draws  near 
As,  trumpet-winged,  the  pilot's  shout 
From  his  post  on  the  bowsprit's  heel  I  hear. 
With  the  welcome  cry  of  '  Ready  !  About  ! ' 


(( 


No  time  to  spare  !  it  is  touch  and  go. 

And  the  captain  growls,  '  Down  helm  !  Haul  down  ! ' 
As  my  weight  on  the  whirling  spokes  I  throw, 

While  heaven  grows  black  with  the  storm-cloud's  frown. 


MISCELLANEOUS  EXTRACTS.  291 

*'  High  o'er  the  knight-heads  flies  the  spray, 
As  we  meet  the  shock  of  the  phmging  sea  ; 
And  my  shoulder  stiff  to  the  wheel  I  lay, 
As  I  answer,  '  Ay,  ay,  sir  !  Hard  a  lee  ! ' 

''With  the  swerving  leap  of  a  startled  steed 
The  ship  flies  fast  in  the  eye  of  the  wind. 
The  dangerous  shoals  on  the  lee  recede, 
And  the  headland  white  we  have  left  behind. 

"The  topsails  flutter,  the  jibs  collapse, 

And  belly  and  tug  at  the  groaning  cleats  ; 
The  spanker  slaps  and  the  mainsail  flaps, 
And  thunders  the  order,  '  Tacks  and  sheets  ! ' 

*'  Mid  the  rattle  of  blocks  and  the  tramp  of  the  crew 
Hisses  the  rain  of  tlie  rushing  squall  ; 
The  sails  are  aback  from  clew  to  clew. 

And  now  is  the  moment  for  '  Mainsail,  Ilaul  ! ' 

''And  the  heavy  yards  like  a  baby's  toy 
By  fifty  strong  arms  are  swiftly  swung  ; 
She  holds  her  way,  and  I  look  with  joy 

For  the  first  white  spray  o'er  the  bulwarks  flung. 

"  '  Let  go,  and  haul  ! '  'tis  the  last  command, 
And  the  head-sails  fill  to  the  blast  once  more ; 
Astern  and  to  leeward  lies  the  land. 

With  its  breakers  white  on  the  shingly  shore. 

*'What  matters  the  reef,  or  the  rain,  or  the  squall, 
I  steady  the  helm  for  the  open  sea  ; 
The  first  mate  clamors,  '  Belay  there,  all  ! ' 
And  the  captain's  breath  once  more  comes  free. 

*'  And  so  off  shore  let  the  good  ship  fly  ; 
Little  care  I  how  the  gusts  may  blow. 
In  my  fo'castle-bunk  in  a  jacket  dry. 

Eight  bells  have  struck,  and  my  watch  is  below." 


292  MISCELLANEOUS  EXTRACTS. 

Naturalness  in  Appeal. — Prof.  Phelps. 

"Appeals,  above  all  other  utterances  from  the  pulpit, 
demand  a  natural  elocution.  The  close  contact  implied  in 
direct  hortation  needs  to  avoid  all  possibly  repellant  ad- 
juncts of  speech.  Nowhere  else,  therefore,  is  an  unnatural 
delivery  so  hurtful.  We  need  but  to  name  the  chief  de- 
fects of  pulpit  elocution  to  be  made  sensible  of  the  truth 
of  this.  Inanimate  appeals,  singsong  in  appeals,  theatrical 
appeals,  declamatory  appeals,  excessive  j)assion  in  appeals, 
unmeaning  or  unfit  or  inordinate  gesture  in  appeals,  whin- 
ing appeals,  hysteric  appeals,  appeals  through  the  nose, 
guttural  appeals,  the  peculiarity  of  an  untrained  voice 
"vshich  resembles  the  quacking  of  a  duck  in  appeals,  scream- 
ing and  bellowing,  with  alternate  whisperings,  in  appeals, 
rolling  of  the  eye-balls  in  aj^peals,  the  scowl,  the  grin,  the 
froth  of  saliva  in  appeals — is  there  any  other  feature  or 
process  of  oral  speech  in  which  these  faults  of  delivery  are 
so  repulsive  as  in  this,  in  which  we  aim  to  speak  to  the  in- 
most being  of  a  hearer,  and  to  get  possession  of  his  heart  ? 
That  which  Ave  tolerate  elsewhere  is  unendurable  here. 
That  which  is  only  unpleasant  elsewhere  is  disgusting  here. 
That  which  we  smile  at  elsewhere  nauseates  us  here." 

TJie  Bridge  of  Sighs. — Thomas  Hood. 

"  One  more  unfortunate, 
Weary  of  breath, 
Eashly  importunate, 
Gone  to  her  death  ! 

"  Take  her  up  tenderly. 
Lift  her  with  care  ; 
Fashioned  so  slenderly. 
Young,  and  so  fair  ! 

"Look  at  her  garments. 
Clinging  like  cerements  ; 


MISCELLANEOUS  EXTRACTS.  293 

Whilst  the  wave  constantly 
Drips  from  her  clothing. 
Take  her  up  instantly, 
Loving,  not  loathing. 

**  Tonch  her  not  scornfully ; 
Think  of  her  mournfully, 
Gently,  and  humanly ; 
Not  of  the  stains  of  her. 
All  that  remains  of  her 
Now  is  pure  womanly. 

•  •  ft 

"  Loop  up  her  tresses 
Escaped  from  the  comb. 
Her  fair  auburn  tresses  ; 
Whilst  wonderment  guesses 
Where  was  her  home  ! 

"  Who  was  her  father  ? 
Who  was  her  mother  ? 
Had  she  a  sister  ? 
Had  she  a  brother  ? 
Or  was  there  a  dearer  one 
Still,  and  a  nearer  one 
Yet,  than  all  other  ? 

**  Alas  !  for  the  rarity 
Of  Christian  charity 
Under  the  sun  ! 
Oh  !  it  was  pitiful ! 
Near  a  whole  city  full. 
Home  she  had  none. 

•  •  • 

**  Perishing  gloomily. 
Spurred  by  contumely. 


294  MISCELLANEOUS  EXTRACTS, 

Cold  inhumanity, 

Burning  insanity, 

Into  her  rest. 

Cross  her  hands  humbly, 

As  if  praying  dumbly. 

Over  her  breast ! 

Owning  her  weakness. 

Her  evil  behavior, 

And  leaving  with  meekness 

Her  sins  to  her  Saviour  ! " 

From   Eulogy  of  William  Hungerford. — Qovernor  Hub- 
hard. 

''When  I  consider  this  long  life  closed — these  many 
years  ended  of  eminent  labor  in  the  highest  ranks  of  the 
forum,  and  nothing  left  of  it  but  a  tolling  bell,  a  handful 
of  earth,  and  a  passing  tradition — a  tradition  already  half 
past — I  am  reminded  of  the  infelicity  which  attends  the 
reputation  of  a  great  lawyer.  To  my  thinking,  the  most 
vio-orous  brain-work  of  the  world  is  done  in  the  ranks  of 
our  profession.  And  then  our  work  concerns  the  highest 
of  all  temporal  interests — property,  reputation,  the  peace  of 
families,  liberty,  life,  even  the  foundations  of  society,  the 
jurisprudence  of  the  world,  and,  as  a  recent  event  has 
shown,  the  arbitrations  and  peace  of  nations.  The  world 
accepts  the  work,  but  forgets  the  workers.  The  waste 
hours  of  Lord  Bacon  and  Sergeant  Talfourd  were  devoted 
to  letters,  and  each  is  infinitely  better  remembered  for  his 
mere  literary  diversions  than  for  his  whole  long  and  labori- 
ous professional  work.  The  cheap  caricatures  of  Dickens 
on  the  profession  will  outlive,  I  fear,  in  the  popular  mem- 
ory, the  judgments  of  Chief  Justice  Marshall,  for  the  latter 
were  not  clownish  burlesques,  but  only  masterpieces  of  rea- 
son and  jurisprudence.  The  victory  gained  by  the  counsel 
of  the  seven  bishojis  was  infinitely  more  to  the  people  of 
England  than  all  the  triumjihs  of  the  Crimean  "War.     But 


MISCELLAXEOUS  EXTRACTS.  295 

one  Lord  Cardigan  led  a  foolishly  brilliant  charge  against  a 
Eussian  battery  at  Balaklava,  and  became  immortal.  Who 
led  the  great  charge  of  the  seven  great  confessors  of  the 
English  Church  against  the  English  Crown  at  Westminster 
Hall  ?  Yon  must  go  to  your  books  to  answer.  They  were 
not  on  horseback.  They  wore  gowns  instead  of  epaulets. 
The  truth  is,  Ave  are  like  little  insects  that  in  the  unseen 
depths  of  the  ocean  lay  the  coral  foundations  of  uprising 
islands.  In  the  end  come  the  solid  land,  the  olive  and  the 
vine,  the  habitations  of  man,  the  acts  and  industries  of  life, 
the  havens  of  the  sea,  and  ships  riding  at  anchor.  But  the 
busy  toilers  which  laid  the  beams  of  a  continent  in  a 
dreary  waste  are  entombed  in  their  work,  and  forgotten 
in  their  tombs. " 

From  Eulogy  on  Judge  Seymour. — Governor  Iluhhard. 

"  I  think  we  can  all  say,  in  very  truth  and  soberness, 
and  with  nothing  of  extravagance  in  eulogy,  that  we  have 
lost  the  foremost — undeniably  the  foremost — lawyer,  and, 
take  him  for  all  in  all,  the  noblest  citizen  of  our  State. 

"  He  possessed,  to  begin  with,  an  intellect  which,  if 
not  brilliant  or  original,  was  receptive  and  absorbent  in  a 
very  high  degree,  and  which  not  only  held  and  assimilated 
its  stores,  but  weighed  them,  as  it  were,  in  balances.  Be- 
sides this  judicial  temper  of  mind,  he  brought  to  the  bench 
very  ample  attainments  in  the  science  of  the  law,  a  large 
and  varied  experience  in  practice  at  the  bar,  and  a  certain 
sinewy  common  sense  which  added  to  his  other  attainments 
a  practical  working  value  that  nothing  else  could  have 
given.  I  hardly  need  add — what  would  naturally  result 
from  the  premises — that  he  had  a  large  measure  of  what  is 
known  among  lawyers  as  judicial  wisdom,  that  supreme  en- 
dowment of  a  judge.   .   .  . 

*' You  would  have  said  in  advance  that  he  Avas  the  last 
lawyer  in  the  State  to  rebel  against  an  old  hereditary  bond- 
age of  the  law.     Like  the  man  in  the  iron  mask,  he  had 


296  MISCELLANEOUS  EXTRACTS. 

got  used  to  it,  and  lived  and  grown  old  in  it.  But  lie  saw 
and  felt — what  some  of  our  best  lawyers  have  found  it  so 
ditScult  to  see  and  feel — that  the  law  has  remained  for  cen- 
turies a  dead  and  cowardly  conservatism,  rusted  and  crusted 
all  over  with  what  Burke,  in  the  glamour  of  his  eloquence, 
calls  '  the  awful  hour  of  innumerable  ages. '  How  bold  and 
courageous  he  was  for  reform,  and  yet  how  careful,  discreet, 
and  wise,  let  our  new  system  of  civil  procedure  testify.  By 
this  work,  more  than  by  all  else  he  has  done,  he  has  left  his 
mark  on  the  jurisprudence  of  the  State.  The  fame  of  the 
best  lawyer  ordinarily  goes  with  him  into  his  coffin ;  but 
I  can  not  doubt  that  this  service  of  his  rendered  to  law  re- 
form will  make  his  name  and  fame  abide  in  honor  when 
the  lives  of  the  rest  of  us  shall  be  as  a  watch  in  the  night 
that  is  past. 

"  And  now,  in  conclusion,  this  half-century  of  just  and 
useful  life-work  done,  this  race  of  honor  run  and  won,  not 
without  sweat  and  toil,  we  commend,  with  one  accord  and 
a  common  love,  grief  and  homage,  this  Christian  sleeper  to 
the  hospitable  bosom  of  our  common  mother  till  the  day 
break  and  the  shadows  flee  away ;  and  so,  in  the  saintly  lan- 
guage of  the  saintly  Fuller,  '  We  leave  our  good  judge  to 
receive  a  just  reward  of  his  integrity  from  the  Judge  of 
judges  at  the  great  assize  of  the  world.'" 

From  Eulogij  of  Judge  Waldo. — Governor  Hubbard. 

''Frugal  and  temperate  in  his  habits,  afflicted  with 
neither  poverty  nor  wealth,  his  manhood  was  passed  in  the 
practice  of  all  those  virtues  which  conduce  so  largely  to 
the  health  both  of  body  and  mind  ;  and  he  ripened  at  last 
into  an  old  age  that  was  almost  youthful.  If  gray  hairs 
be,  as  is  so  often  said,  a  crown  of  glory,  the  crown  is  not 
seldom  set  with  thorns  ;  for  with  old  age  there  come  in 
the  order  of  nature  I  know  not  what  infirmities  of  temper, 
what  physical  dishonors,  like,  as  it  were,  a  moth  fretting  a 
garment,  what  darkenings  of  the  sun  and  of  the  moon  and 


MISCELLANEOUS  EXTRACTS.  297 

of  the  stars,  what  vain  struggles  by  spent  swimmers  against 
the  swift  current,  what  enforced  marches,  with  reverted 
eyes  and  sealed  orders,  into  the  land  of  shadows. 

*'  Nothing  of  all  this  in  the  declining  years  of  our  friend. 
The  day  was  far  spent  and  the  night  at  hand  ;  yet  he  was 
as  trustful  and  even-tempered  as  a  child.  Nothing  barren 
or  wintry  in  this  old  age  of  his — I  speak  that  which  I  have 
myself  seen — but  everything  ripe  and  genial,  as  when  the 
mellow  autumn  sets  in  upon  the  toil  and  scorch  and  sweat 
of  summer  ;  and  though  verdure  and  flower  and  the  voice 
of  the  bird  are  gone,  yet  the  song  of  labor  is  on  the  hill-sides, 
and  the  harvests  gatlier  themselves  into  garners,  and  the 
wasting  foliage  flushes  into  purple,  and  the  sloping  sun 
yellows  into  gold.  All  this,  perhaps,  I  have  little  need  to 
relate,  for  you  have  seen  it  all  under  your  own  eyes  ;  only  I 
may  add  that  with  this  disappearing  old  man  disappears  a 
life  which  would  be  thought  as  gentle  as  good  old  George 
Herbert's,  if  as  gentle  a  pen  as  good  old  Izaak  Walton's 
could  be  found  to  sketch  it.  You  may  easily  find  greater 
men,  but  where  a  better,  a  more  white-souled  one  ? 

"  I  have  thus  given  you  my  idea,  founded  on  much  ob- 
servation, of  the  character  of  our  deceased  brother.  'Tis  a 
friendly  portrait,  I  will  not  deny.  I  would  not  have  it 
otherwise,  but  true,  I  hope,  to  the  modesty  of  nature. 

"I  can  not  close  without  calling  to  mind  in  a  common 
•memory  those  other  patriarchs  of  our  profession — the  fellows 
of  the  deceased  in  age  and  rank — the  roll  of  them  I  will  not 
call — who  have  passed  away  since  yesterday,  as  it  were,  leav- 
ing behind  them — am  I  not  right,  or  does  afl'cction  mislead 
my  judgment  ? — no  successors  of  equal  rank  and  stature. 
The  last  of  that  great  patriarchate  is  gone.     The  roll  closes. 

"  *  Abiit  ad  plures.' 

"And  now,  as  I  look  over  our  broken  ranks,  and  my 
eyes  miss  this  white-haired  and  venerable  leader,  this  loved 
and  fatherly  presence  gone  hence  where  go  the  judges  and 
counselors  of  the  earth  till  the  heavens  be  no  more,  may  I 


298  MISCELLANEOUS  EXTRACTS. 

not  here  and  now,  before  our  ranks  close  again  and  we 
move  on  and  leave  our  dead  comrade  behind,  may  I  not 
here  and  now,  in  the  presence  of  this  brotherhood  who 
knew  him  best  and  loved  him  most,  borrow  for  my  last 
words  that  golden  benediction  of  our  Supreme  Counselor 
and  Judge — '  Blessed  are  the  peacemakers,  for  they  shall  be 
called  the  children  of  God.'" 

Emphasis  of  Distinction  and  Contrast. 

Extract  from  Quarlcs. 

"  If  evil  men  speak  good,  or  good  men  evil,  of  thy  con- 
versation, examine  all  thy  actions  and  suspect  thyself.  But 
if  evil  men  speak  evil  of  thee,  hold  it  as  thy  honor,  and  by 
way  of  thankfulness  love  them ;  but  ujjon  condition  that 
they  continue  to  hate  thee. 

"  To  tremble  at  the  sight  of  thy  sin  makes  thj  faith  the 
less  apt  to  tremble.  The  devils  believe  and  tremble,  because 
they  tremble  at  what  they  believe.  Their  belief  brings  trem- 
bling ;  thy  trembling  brings  belief." 


THE  ORDER  FOR  DAILY  MORNING 

PRAYER. 


^  The  Ifmister  shall  begin  the  Morning  Prayer,  hj  reading  one  or  more  of 
the  following  Sentences  of  Scripture. 

The  Lord  is  in  his  holy  temple  ;  let  all  the  earth  keep 
silence  before  him, — Hab.  ii.,  20. 

From  the  rising  of  the  sun  even  unto  the  going  down 
of  the  same,  my  Name  shall  be  great  among  the  Gentiles ; 
and  in  every  place  incense  shall  be  offered  unto  my  Name, 
and  a  pure  offering  :  for  my  Name  shall  be  great  among 
the  heathen,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts, — Mai,  i,,  11. 

Let  the  words  of  my  mouth,  and  the  meditation  of 
my  heart,  be  alway  acceptable  in  thy  sight,  0  Lord,  my 
strength  and  my  redeemer. — Psalm  xix,,  14,  15. 

When  the  wicked  man  turneth  away  from  his  wicked- 
ness that  he  hath  committed,  and  doeth  that  which  is  law- 
ful and  right,  he  shall  save  his  soul  alive. — Ezek.  xviii.,  27. 

I  acknowledge  my  transgressions ;  and  my  sin  is  ever 
before  me. — Psalm  li.,  3. 

Hide  thy  face  from  my  sins  ;  and  blot  out  all  mine  ini- 
quities.— Psalm  li.,  9. 

The  sacrifices  of  God  are  a  broken  spirit  :  a  broken  and 
a  contrite  heart,  0  God,  thou  wilt  not  despise, — Psalm 
li.,  17. 

Rend  your  heart,  and  not  your  garments,  and  turn  unto 
the  Lord  your  God ;  for  he  is  gracious  and  merciful,  slow 


800  THE  ORDER  FOR  DAILY  MORNING  PRAYER. 

to  anger,  and  of  great  kindness,  and  repentetli  him  of  the 
evil. — Joel,  ii.,  13. 

To  the  Lord  our  God  belong  mercies  and  forgivenesses, 
though  we  have  rebelled  against  him  ;  neither  have  we 
obeyed  the  voice  of  the  Lord  our  God,  to  walk  in  his  laws 
which  he  set  before  us. — Dan.  ix.,  9,  10. 

0  Lord,  correct  me,  but  with  judgment ;  not  in  thine 
anger,  lest  thou  bring  me  to  nothing. — Jer.  x.,  24.  Psalm 
vi.,  1. 

Eepent  ye  ;  for  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  is  at  hand. — St. 
Matt,  iii.,  2. 

1  will  arise,  and  go  to  my  father,  and  will  say  unto  him. 
Father,  I  have  sinned  against  heaven,  and  before  thee,  and 
am  no  more  worthy  to  be  called  thy  son. — St.  Luke,  xv., 
18,  19. 

Enter  not  into  judgment  with  thy  servant,  0  Lord  ; 
for  in  thy  sight  shall  no  man  living  be  justified. — Psalm 
cxliii.,  2. 

If  we  say  that  we  have  no  sin,  we  deceive  ourselves,  and 
the  truth  is  not  in  us  ;  but  if  we  confess  our  sins,  God  is 
faithful  and  just  to  forgive  us  our  sins,  and  to  cleanse  us 
from  all  unrighteousness. — I.  John,  i.,  8,  9. 

T[  TJicn  the  Minister  shall  sai/, 

Dearly  beloved  brethren,  the  Scripture  moveth  us, 
in  sundry  places,  to  acknowledge  and  confess  our  manifold 
sins  and  wickedness  ;  and  that  we  should  not  dissemble  nor 
cloak  them  before  the  face  of  Almighty  God  our  heavenly 
Father ;  but  confess  them  with  an  humble,  lowly,  peni- 
tent, and  obedient  heart  ;  to  the  end  that  we  may  obtain 
forgiveness  of  the  same,  by  his  infinite  goodness  and  mercy. 
And  although  we  ought,  at  all  times,  humbly  to  acknowl- 
edge our  sins  before  God  ;  yet  ought  we  chiefly  so  to  do, 
when  we  assemble  and  meet  together  to  render  thanks  for 
the  great  benefits  that  we  have  received  at  his  hands,  to  set 
forth  his  most  worthy  praise,  to  hear  his  most  holy  "Word, 


THE  ORDER  FOR  DAILY  MORNING  PRAYER.  301 

and  to  ask  those  things  which  are  requisite  and  necessary, 
as  well  for  the  body  as  the  soul.  Wherefore  I  pray  and 
beseech  you,  as  many  as  are  here  j)resent,  to  accompany  me 
with  a  pure  heart  and  humble  Toice,  unto  the  throne  of 
the  heavenly  grace,  saying — 

A  General  Confession. 

T[  To  be  said  hy  the  icholc  Congregation,  after  the  JTinister,  all  kncelitig. 

Almighty  and  most  merciful  Father ;  We  have  erred, 
and  strayed  from  thy  ways  like  lost  sheep.  We  have  fol- 
lowed too  much  the  devices  and  desires  of  our  own  hearts. 
We  have  offended  against  thy  holy  laws.  We  have  left  un- 
done those  things  which  we  ought  to  have  done  ;  And  we 
have  done  those  things  which  we  ought  not  to  have  done  ; 
And  there  is  no  health  in  us.  But  thou,  0  Lord,  have 
mercy  upon  us,  miserable  offenders.  Spare  thou  those,  0 
God,  who  confess  their  faults.  Restore  thou  those  who  are 
penitent ;  According  to  thy  promises  declared  unto  man- 
kind in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord.  And  grant,  0  most  merci- 
ful Father,  for  his  sake  ;  That  we  may  hereafter  live  a 
godly,  righteous,  and  sober  life,  To  the  glory  of  thy  holy 
Xame.     Amen. 

Tlie  Declaration  of  Absolution,  or  Remission  of  Sins. 

^  To  be  made  by  the  Priest  alone,  standing  ;  the  People  still  kneeling. 

Almighty  God,  the  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
who  desireth  not  the  death  of  a  sinner,  but  rather  that  he 
may  turn  from  his  wickedness  and  live,  hath  given  power, 
and  commandment,  to  his  Ministers,  to  declare  and  pro- 
nounce to  his  people,  being  penitent,  the  Absolution  and 
Remission  of  their  sins.  He  pardoneth  and  absolveth  all 
those  who  truly  repent,  and  unfeigncdly  believe  his  holy 
Gospel.  Wherefore  let  us  beseech  him  to  grant  us  true  re- 
pentance, and  his  Holy  Spirit,  that  those  things  may  please 
him  which  we  do  at  this  present ;  and  that  the  rest  of  our 


302  TEE  ORDER  FOR  DAILY  MORNING  PRAYER. 

life  hereafter  may  be  pure  and  holy  ;  so  that  at  the  last  we 
may  come  to  his  eternal  joy  ;  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord. 

^  The  People  shall  answer  here,  and  at  the  end  of  every  Praya;  Amen. 

«|[  Or  this. 

Almighty  God,  our  heavenly  Father,  who  of  his  great 
mercy  hath  promised  forgiveness  of  sins  to  all  those  who, 
with  hearty  repentance  and  true  faith,  turn  unto  him  ; 
Have  mercy  upon  you  ;  pardon  and  deliver  you  from  all 
your  sins  ;  confirm  and  strengthen  you  in  all  goodness  ; 
and  bring  you  to  everlasting  life  ;  through  Jesus  Christ  our 
Lord.     Amen. 

^  Then  the  Minister  shall  kneel,  and  say  the  Lord's  Prayer  ;  the  People  still 
kneeliny,  and  repeating  it  with  him,  both  here,  and  wheresoever  else  it  is 
used  in  Divine  Service. 

OuK  Father,  who  art  in  heaven.  Hallowed  be  thy  l^ame. 
Thy  kingdom  come.  Thy  will  be  done  on  earth.  As  it  is 
in  heaven.  Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread.  And  forgive 
us  our  trespasses,  As  we  forgive  those  who  trespass  against 
us.  And  lead  us  not  into  temptation  ;  But  deliver  us  from 
evil :  For  thine  is  the  kingdom,  and  the  power,  and  the 
glory,  for  ever  and  ever.     Amen. 

T[  Then  likewise  he  shall  say, 

0  Lord,  open  thou  our  lips. 

Answer.  And  our  mouth  shall  show  forth  thy  praise. 

^  Here,  all  standing  up,  the  Minister  shall  say. 

Glory  be  to  the  Father,  and  to  the  Son,  and  to  the  Holy 
Ghost ; 

A  nswer.  As  it  was  in  the  beginning,  is  now,  and  ever 
shall  be,  world  without  end.     Amen. 

Minister.  Praise  ye  the  Lord. 

Ansiver.  The  Lord's  Name  be  praised. 

^  TJien  shall  he  said  or  sung  the  following  Anthem  ;  except  on  those  days  for 
which  other  Anthems  are  appointed ;  and  except  also,  when  it  is  used  in  the 
course  of  the  Psalms,  on  ilie  nineteenth  day  of  the  month. 


TEE  ORDER  FOR  DAILY  210RXIXG  PRAYER.  303 

Venite,  exultenius  Domino. 

0  coiiE,  let  us  sing  unto  the  Lord  ;  let  us  heartily  re- 
joice in  the  strength  of  our  salvation. 

Let  us  come  before  liis  presence  with  thanksgiving ;  and 
show  ourselves  glad  in  him  with  psalms. 

For  the  Lord  is  a  great  God ;  and  a  great  King  above 
all  gods. 

In  his  hand  are  all  the  corners  of  the  earth ;  and  the 
strength  of  the  hills  is  his  also. 

The  sea  is  his,  and  he  made  it ;  and  his  hands  prepared 
the  dry  land. 

0  come,  let  us  worship,  and  fall  down,  and  kneel  before 
the  Lord  our  Maker. 

For  he  is  the  Lord  our  God ;  and  we  are  the  people  of 
his  pasture,  and  the  sheep  of  his  hand. 

O  worship  the  Lord  in  the  beauty  of  holiness  ;  let  the 
whole  earth  stand  in  awe  of  him. 

For  he  cometh,  for  he  cometli  to  Judge  the  earth  ;  and 
with  righteousness  to  judge  the  world,  and  the  people  with 
his  truth. 

^  Then  shall  follow  a  Portion  of  the  Psalms,  as  they  are  appointed,  or  one  of 
the  Selections  of  Psalms  set  forth  by  this  Church.  And  at  the  end  of  every 
Psalm,  and  likewise  at  the  end  of  the  Venite,  Benedicite,  Jubilate,  Beue- 
dictus,  Cantate  Domino,  Bonum  est  confiteri,  Deus  misereatur,  Bonodic, 
anima  mea — MA  Y  he  said  or  sung  the  Gloria  Patri ;  and  at  the  end  of  the 
whole  Portion,  or  Selection  of  Psalms  for  the  day,  SHALL  be  said  or  sung 
the  Gloria  Patri,  or  else  the  Gloria  in  excelsis,  as  folloiocth. 

Gloria  in  excelsis. 

Glory  be  to  God  on  high,  and  on  earth  peace,  good 
will  towards  men.  "We  praise  thee,  we  bless  thee,  we  wor- 
ship thee,  we  glorify  thee,  we  give  thanks  to  tliee  for  tliy 
great  glory,  0  Lord  God,  heavenly  King,  God  the  Father 
Almighty. 

0  Lord,  tlie  only-begotten  Son,  Jesus  Christ ;  0  Lord 
God,  Lamb  of  God,  Son  of  the  Father,  that  takest  away 


304:  TEE  ORDER  FOR  DAILY  MORNING  PEAYER. 

the  sins  of  the  world,  have  mercy  upon  us.  Thou  that 
takest  away  the  sins  of  the  world,  haye  mercy  upon  us. 
Thou  that  takest  away  the  sins  of  the  world,  receive  our 
prayer.  Thou  that  sittest  at  the  right  hand  of  God  the 
Father,  have  mercy  upon  us. 

For  thou  only  art  holy  ;  thou  only  art  the  Lord ;  thou 
only,  0  Christ,  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  art  most  high  in  the 
glory  of  God  the  Father.     Amen. 

^  TJieii  shall  he  read  the  first  Lesson,  according  to  the  Table  or  Calendar. 
"^  After  which  shall  be  said  or  sung  the  following  Hymn. 

^  Note,  That  before  every  Lesson,  the  Minister  shall  say,  Here  begmneth  such 
a  Chapter,  or  Verse  of  such  a  Chapter,  of  such  a  Bock :  and  after  every 
Lesson,  Here  endeth  the  first,  or  the  second  Lesson. 

Te  Deum  laudamus. 

"We  praise  thee,  0  God  ;  we  acknowledge  thee  to  be  the 
Lord. 

All  the  earth  doth  worship  thee,  the  Father  everlasting. 

To  thee  all  Angels  cry  aloud  ;  the  Heavens,  and  all  the 
Powers  therein. 

To  thee  Cherubim  and  Seraphim  continually  do  cry. 

Holy,  Holy,  Holy,  Lord  God  of  Sabaoth ; 

Heaven  and  earth  are  full  of  the  Majesty  of  thy  Glory. 

The  glorious  company  of  the  Apostles  praise  thee. 

The  goodly  fellowship  of  the  Prophets  praise  thee. 

The  noble  army  of  Martyrs  praise  thee. 

The  holy  Church  throughout  all  the  world  doth  ac- 
knowledge thee  ; 

The  Father,  of  an  infinite  Majesty  ; 

Thine  adorable,  true,  and  only  Son ; 

Also  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  Comforter. 

Thou  art  the  King  of  Glory,  0  Christ. 

Thou  art  the  everlasting  Son  of  the  Father. 

When  thou  tookest  upon  thee  to  deliver  man,  thou  didst 
humble  thyself  to  be  born  of  a  Virgin. 


TEE  ORDER  FOR  DAILY  MORNmO  PRAYER.  305 

"When  thou  hadst  overcome  the  sharpness  of  death,  thou 
didst  open  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  to  all  believers. 

Thou  sittest  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  in  the  Glory  of 
the  Father. 

We  believe  that  thou  shalt  come  to  be  our  Judge. 

We  therefore  pray  thee,  help  thy  servants,  whom  thou 
hast  redeemed  with  thy  precious  blood. 

Make  them  to  be  numbered  with  thy  Saints,  in  glory 
everlasting. 

0  Lord,  save  thy  people,  and  bless  thine  heritage. 

Govern  them,  and  lift  them  up  forever. 

Day  by  day  we  magnify  thee  ; 

And  we  worship  thy  Name  ever,  world  without  end. 

Vouchsafe,  0  Lord,  to  keep  us  this  day  without  sin. 

0  Lord,  have  mercy  upon  us,  have  mercy  upon  us. 

0  Lord,  let  thy  mercy  be  upon  us,  as  our  trust  is  in 
thee. 

0  Lord,  in  thee  have  I  trusted  ;  let  me  never  be  con- 
founded. 

*|[  Or  this  Canticle. 

Benedicite,  omnia  opera  Domini. 

0  ALL  ye  Works  of  the  Lord,  bless  ye  the  Lord  ;  praise 
him,  and  magnify  him  for  ever. 

0  ye  Angels  of  the  Lord,  bless  ye  the  Lord  ;  praise 
him,  and  magnify  him  for  ever. 

0  ye  Heavens,  bless  ye  the  Lord  ;  praise  him,  and  mag- 
nify him  for  ever. 

0  ye  Waters  that  be  above  the  firmament,  bless  ye  the 
Lord  ;  praise  him,  and  magnify  him  for  ever. 

0  all  ye  Powers  of  the  Lord,  bless  ye  the  Lord  ;  praise 
him,  and  magnify  him  for  ever. 

0  ye  Sun  and  Moon,  bless  ye  the  Lord  ;  praise  him, 
and  magnify  him  for  ever. 

0  ye  Stars  of  Heaven,  bless  yc  the  Lord  ;  praise  him, 
and  magnify  him  for  ever. 


806  THE  ORDER  FOR  DAILY  MORNING  PRATER. 

0  ye  Showers  and  Dew,  bless  ye  the  Lord  ;  praise  him, 
and  magnify  him  for  ever. 

0  ye  Winds  of  God,  bless  ye  the  Lord ;  praise  him,  and 
magnify  him  for  ever. 

0  ye  Fire  and  Heat,  bless  ye  the  Lord  ;  praise  him,  and 
magnify  him  for  ever. 

0  ye  Winter  and  Summer,  bless  ye  the  Lord ;  praise 
him,  and  magnify  him  for  ever. 

0  ye  Dews  and  Frosts,  bless  ye  the  Lord  ;  praise  him, 
and  magnify  him  for  ever. 

0  ye  Frost  and  Cold,  bless  ye  the  Lord  ;  praise  him, 
and  magnify  him  for  ever. 

0  ye  Ice  and  Snow,  bless  ye  the  Lord  ;  praise  him,  and 
magnify  him  for  ever. 

0  ye  Nights  and  Days,  bless  ye  the  Lord  ;  praise  him, 
and  magnify  him  for  ever. 

0  ye  Light  and  Darkness,  bless  ye  the  Lord ;  praise 
him,  and  magnify  him  for  ever. 

0  ye  Lightnings  and  Clouds,  bless  ye  the  Lord  ;  praise 
him,  and  magnify  him  for  ever. 

0  let  the  Earth  bless  the  Lord  ;  yea,  let  it  praise  him, 
and  magnify  him  for  ever. 

0  ye  Mountains  and  Hills,  bless  ye  the  Lord ;   praise 
him,  and  magnify  him  for  ever. 

0  all  ye  Green  Things  upon  the  earth,  bless  ye  the 
Lord  ;  jDraise  him,  and  magnify  him  for  ever. 

0  ye  Wells,  bless  ye  the  Lord  ;  praise  him,  and  magnify 
him  for  ever. 

0  ye  Seas  and  Floods,  bless  ye  the  Lord ;  praise  him, 
and  magnify  him  for  ever. 

0  ye  Whales,  and  all  that  move  in  the  waters,  bless  ye 
the  Lord  ;  praise  him,  and  magnify  him  for  ever. 

0  all  ye  Fowls  of  the  Air,  bless  ye  the  Lord ;  praise 
him,  and  magnify  him  for  ever. 

0  all  ye  Beasts  and  Cattle,  bless  ye  the  Lord ;  praise 
him,  and  magnify  him  for  ever. 


TEE  ORDER  FOR  DAILY  MORNING  PRAYER.  307 

0  ye  Children  of  Men,  bless  ye  the  Lord  ;  praise  him, 
and  magnify  him  for  ever, 

0  let  Israel  bless  the  Lord ;  praise  him,  and  magnify 
him  for  ever. 

0  ye  Priests  of  the  Lord,  bless  ye  the  Lord  ;  praise  him, 
and  magnify  him  for  ever, 

0  ye  Servants  of  the  Lord,  bless  ye  the  Lord ;  praise 
him,  and  magnify  him  for  ever. 

0  ye  Spirits  and  Souls  of  the  Eighteous,  bless  yc  the 
Lord  ;  praise  him,  and  magnify  him  for  ever. 

0  ye  holy  and  humble  Men  of  heart,  bless  ye  the  Lord  ; 
praise  him,  and  magnify  him  for  ever. 

^  Then  shall  be  read,  in  like  manner,  the  second  Zesson,  taken  out  of  the 
New  Testament,  according  to  the  Table  or  Calendar. 

*][  And  after  that,  the  following  Psalm. 

Jubilate  Deo.     Psalm  c. 

0  BE  joyful  in  the  Lord,  all  ye  lands  :  serve  the 
Lord  with  gladness,  and  come  before  his  presence  with  a 
song. 

Be  ye  sure  that  the  Lord  he  is  God  ;  it  is  he  that  hath 
made  us,  and  not  we  ourselves  ;  we  are  his  people,  and  the 
sheep  of  his  pasture. 

0  go  your  way  into  his  gates  with  thanksgiving,  and 
into  his  courts  with  praise  ;  be  thankful  unto  him,  and 
speak  good  of  his  Name. 

For  the  Lord  is  gracious,  his  mercy  is  everlasting  ;  and 
his  truth  endureth  from  generation  to  generation. 

^  Or  this  Hymn. 

Be?iedictus.     St.  Luke,  i.,  G8. 

Blessed  be  the  Lord  God  of  Israel ;  for  he  hath  visited 
and  redeemed  his  people  ; 

And  hath  raised  up  a  mighty  salvation  for  us,  in  the 
house  of  his  servant  David  ; 


308  THE  ORDER  FOR  DAILY  MORNING  PRAYER. 

As  he  spake  by  the  mouth  of  his  holy  Prophets,  which 
have  been  since  the  world  began  ; 

That  we  should  be  saved  from  our  enemies,  and  from 
the  hand  of  all  that  hate  us. 

^  llien  shall  he  said  the  Apostles'  Creed  by  the  Minister  and  the  People, 
standbig.  And  any  Churches  may  omit  the  words,  He  descended  into 
hell,  or  may,  instead  of  them,  use  the  words,  lie  went  into  the  place  of 
departed  spirits,  which  are  considered  as  loords  of  the  same  meaning  in  the 
Creed. 

I  BELIEVE  in  God  the  Father  Almighty,  Maker  of  heaven 
and  earth  : 

And  in  Jesus  Christ  his  only  Son  our  Lord  ;  Who  was 
conceived  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  Born  of  the  Virgin  Mary  ; 
Suffered  under  Pontius  Pilate,  Was  crucified,  dead,  and 
buried  ;  He  descended  into  hell,  The  third  day  he  rose 
from  the  dead ;  He  ascended  into  heaven,  And  sitteth  on 
the  right  hand  of  God  the  Father  Almighty  ;  From  thence 
he  shall  come  to  judge  the  quick  and  the  dead. 

I  believe  in  the  Holy  Ghost ;  The  holy  Catholic  Church, 
The  Communion  of  Saints  ;  The  Forgiveness  of  sins  ;  The 
Resurrection  of  the  body  ;  And  the  Life  everlasting.    Amen. 

«^  Or  this. 

I  BELIEVE  in  one  God  the  Father  Almighty,  Maker  of 
heaven  and  earth,  And  of  all  things  visible  and  invisible  : 

And  in  one  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  only-begotten  Son  of 
God,  Begotten  of  his  Father  before  all  worlds,  God  of  God, 
Light  of  Light,  very  God  of  very  God,  Begotten,  not  made. 
Being  of  one  substance  with  the  Father ;  By  whom  all 
things  were  made  ;  Who,  for  us  men,  and  for  our  salvation, 
came  down  from  heaven.  And  was  incarnate  by  the  Holy 
Ghost  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  And  was  made  man ;  And  was 
crucified  also  for  us  under  Pontius  Pilate.  He  suffered,  and 
w^as  buried  ;  And  the  third  day  he  rose  again,  according  to 
the  Scriptures  ;  And  ascended  into  heaven.  And  sitteth  on 
the  right  hand  of  the  Father;  And  he  shall  come  again 


THE  ORDER  FOR  DAILY  MORNING  PRAYER.  309 

with  glory  to  judge  both  the  quick  and  the  dead.  Whose 
kingdom  shall  have  no  end. 

And  I  believe  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  Lord  and  Giver  of 
Life,  Who  proceedeth  from  the  Father  and  the  Son,  Who 
with  the  Father  and  the  Son  together  is  worshipped  and 
glorified.  Who  spake  by  the  Prophets;  and  I  believe  one 
Catholic  and  Apostolic  Church ;  I  acknowledge  one  Bap- 
tism for  the  remission  of  sins ;  And  I  look  for  the  Eesurrec- 
tion  of  the  dead.  And  the  Life  of  the  world  to  come. 
Amen. 

^  And  after  that,  these  Prayers  folloicing,  all  devoutly  kneeling  ;  the  Ministe)' 

first  pronouncing, 

Tlie  Lord  be  with  you. 
Answer.  And  with  thy  spirit. 

Minister.  Let  us  pray. 
0  Lord,  show  thy  mercy  upon  us. 
Answer.  And  grant  us  thy  salvation. 
Miyiister.  0  God,  make  clean  our  hearts  within  us. 
Ansioer.  And  take  not  thy  Holy  Spirit  from  us. 

^  Then  shall  follow  the  Collect  for  the  day,  except  when  the  Communion  Ser- 
vice is  read  ;  and  then  the  Collect  for  the  day  shall  be  omitted  here. 

A  Collect  for  Peace. 

0  GOD,  who  art  tlic  author  of  peace  and  lover  of  concord, 
in  knowledge  of  whom  standeth  our  eternal  life,  whose  ser- 
vice is  perfect  freedom  ;  Defend  us  thy  humble  servants  in 
all  assaults  of  our  enemies  ;  that  we,  surely  trusting  in  thy 
defence,  may  not  fear  the  power  of  any  adversaries,  through 
the  might  of  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.     Amen. 

A  Collect  for  Grace. 

0  LoEi),  our  heavenly  Father,  Almighty  and  everlast- 
ing God,  who  hast  safely  brought  us  to  the  beginning  of 
this  day  ;  Defend  us  in  the  same  with  thy  mighty  power  ; 
and  grant  that  this  day  we  fall  into  no  sin,  neither  run  into 


310  TEE  ORDER  FOR  DAILY  MORNING  PRAYER. 

any  kind  of  danger  ;  but  tliat  all  our  doings,  being  ordered 
by  thy  governance,  may  be  righteous  in  thy  sight ;  through 
Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.     Amen. 

A  Prayer  for  the  President  of  the  United  States,  and  all 

in  Civil  Author ity. 

0  LoED,  our  heavenly  Father,  the  high  and  mighty 
Euler  of  the  universe,  who  dost  from  thy  throne  behold 
all  the  dwellers  upon  earth ;  Most  heartily  we  beseech 
thee  with  thy  favour  to  behold  and  bless  thy  servant  The 
Peesident  of  the  United  States,  and  all  others  in  au- 
thority ;  and  so  replenish  them  with  the  grace  of  thy  Holy 
Spirit,  that  they  may  always  incline  to  thy  will,  and  walk 
in  thy  way.  Endue  them  plenteously  with  heavenly  gifts  ; 
grant  them  in  health  and  prosperity  long  to  live  ;  and 
finally,  after  this  life,  to  attain  everlasting  joy  and  felicity ; 
through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.     Amen. 

\  TJie  following  Prayers  are  to  he  omitted  here,  ivhcn  the  Litany  is  read, 

A  Prayer  for  the  Clergy  and  People. 

Almighty  and  everlasting  God,  from  whom  cometh 
every  good  and  perfect  gift  ;  Send  down  upon  our  Bishops, 
and  other  Clergy,  and  upon  the  Congregations  committed 
to  their  charge,  the  healthful  Spirit  of  thy  grace  ;  and, 
that  they  may  truly  please  thee,  pour  upon  them  the  con- 
tinual dew  of  thy  blessing.  Grant  this,  0  Lord,  for  the 
honour  of  our  Advocate  and  Mediator,  Jesus  Christ. 
Ame7i. 

A  Prayer  for  all  Conditions  of  Men. 

0  God,  the  Creator  and  Preserver  of  all  mankind,  we 
humbly  beseech  thee  for  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  men  ; 
that  thou  wouldest  be  pleased  to  make  thy  ways  known 
unto  them,  thy  saving  health  unto  all  nations.  More  espe- 
cially we  pray  for  thy  holy  Church  universal ;  that  it  may 
be  so  guided  and  governed  by  thy  good  Spirit,  that  all  who 


THE  ORDER  FOR  DAILY  MORNING  PRAYER.  311 

profess  and  call  themselves  Christians  may  be  led  into  the 
way  of  truth,  and  hold  the  faith  in  unity  of  sj^irit,  in  the 
bond  of  peace,  and  in  righteousness  of  life.  Finally,  we 
commend  to  thy  fatherly  goodness  all  those  who  are  any 
ways  afflicted,  or  distressed,  in  mind,  body,  or  estate  ;  that 
it  may  please  thee  to  comfort  and  relieve  them,  according 
to  their  several  necessities ;  giving  them  patience  under 
their  sufferings,  and  a  happy  issue  out  of  all  their  afflic- 
tions.    And  this  we  beg  for  Jesus  Christ's  sake.     Amen. 

A  General  ThanTcsgiving. 

Almighty  God,  Father  of  all  mercies,  we,  thine  un- 
worthy servants,  do  give  thee  most  humble  and  hearty 
thanks  for  all  thy  goodness  and  loving-kindness  to  us,  and 
to  all  men.  "We  bless  thee  for  our  creation,  preservation, 
and  all  the  blessings  of  this  life ;  but  above  all,  for  thine 
inestimable  love  in  the  redemption  of  the  world  by  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  for  the  means  of  grace,  and  for  the 
hope  of  glory.  And,  we  beseech  thee,  give  us  that  due 
sense  of  all  thy  mercies,  that  our  hearts  may  be  unfeignedly 
thankful,  and  that  we  show  forth  thy  praise,  not  only 
with  our  lips,  but  in  our  lives  ;  by  giving  up  ourselves  to 
thy  service,  and  by  walking  before  thee  in  holiness  and 
righteousness  all  our  days  ;  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord, 
to  whom,  with  thee  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  be  all  honour  and 
glory,  world  without  end.     Amen. 

A  Prayer  of  St.  Chrysostom. 

Almighty  God,  who  hast  given  us  grace  at  this  time 
with  one  accord  to  make  our  common  supplications  unto 
thee  ;  and  dost  promise  that  when  two  or  three  are  gathered 
together  in  thy  Name  thou  wilt  grant  their  requests  ;  Ful- 
fil now,  0  Lord,  the  desires  and  petitions  of  thy  servants, 
as  may  be  most  expedient  for  them  ;  granting  us  in  this 
world  knowledge  of  thy  truth,  and  in  the  world  to  come 
life  everlasting.  Amen. 
14 


312  THE  ORDER  FOR  DAILY  MORFING  PRAYER. 

2  Cor.  xiii.,  14. 

The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  love  of 
God,  and  the  fellowship  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  be  with  us  all 
evermore.     Aiyien. 

Here  endeth  the  Order  of  Morning  Prayer. 


THE  ORDER  FOR  DAILY  EVENING 

PRAYER. 


Tf  77te  Mimsler  shall  begin  the  Evening  Prayer,  by  reading  one  or  more  of 
the  following  SejUences  of  Scripture. 

The  Lord  is  in  liis  holy  temple  ;  let  all  the  earth  keep 
silence  before  him. — Hab.  ii.,  20. 

From  the  rising  of  the  sun  even  unto  the  going  down 
of  the  same,  my  Name  shall  be  great  among  the  Gentiles  ; 
and  in  every  place  incense  shall  be  offered  unto  my  Name, 
and  a  pure  offering  :  for  my  Name  shall  be  great  among 
the  heathen,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts. — Mai.  i.,  11. 

Let  the  words  of  my  mouth,  and  the  meditation  of  my 
heart,  be  alway  acceptable  in  thy  sight,  0  Lord,  my  strength 
and  my  redeemer. — Psalm  xix.,  14,  15. 

When  the  wicked  man  turneth  away  from  his  wicked- 
ness that  he  hath  committed,  and  doeth  that  which  is  law- 
ful and  right,  he  shall  save  his  soul  alive. — Ezek.  xviii.,  27. 

I  acknowledge  my  transgressions ;  and  my  sin  is  ever 
before  me, — Psalm  li.,  3. 

Hide  thy  face  from  my  sins  ;  and  blot  out  all  mine  ini- 
quities.— Psalm  li.,  9. 

The  sacrifices  of  God  are  a  broken  spirit  :  a  broken  and 
a  contrite  heart,  0  God,  thou  wilt  not  despise. — Psalm 
H.,  17. 

Rend  your  heart,  and  not  your  garments,  and  turn  unto 
the  Lord  your  God  ;  for  he  is  gracious  and  merciful,  slow 


314  THE  ORDER  FOR  DAILY  EVEJVIXG  PRAYER. 

to  anger,  and  of  great  kindness,  and  repentetli  him  of  the 
evil. — Joel,  ii.,  13. 

To  the  Lord  our  God  belong  mercies  and  forgivenesses, 
though  yve  have  rebelled  against  him  ;  neither  have  we 
obeyed  the  voice  of  the  Loed  our  God,  to  walk  in  his  laws 
which  he  set  before  us. — Dan.  ix.,  9,  10. 

0  Lord,  correct  me,  but  with  judgment;  not  in  thine 
anger,  lest  thou  bring  me  to  nothing. — Jer.  x.,  24.  Psalm 
vi.,  1. 

Repent  ye  ;  for  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  is  at  hand. — 
St.  Matt,  iii.,  2. 

1  will  arise,  and  go  to  my  father,  and  will  say  unto  him, 
Father,  I  have  sinned  against  heaven,  and  before  thee, 
and  am  no  more  worthy  to  be  called  thy  son. — St.  Luke, 
XV.,  18,  19. 

Enter  not  into  judgment  with  thy  servant,  0  Loed  ; 
for  in  thy  sight  shall  no  man  living  be  justified. — Psalm 
cxliii.,  2. 

If  we  say  that  we  have  no  sin,  we  deceive  ourselves,  and 
the  truth  is  not  in  us  ;  but  if  we  confess  our  sins,  God  is 
faithful  and  just  to  forgive  us  our  sins,  and  to  cleanse  us 
from  all  unrighteousness. — 1  John,  i.,  8,  9. 

^  Then  the  Minister  shall  sai/, 

Deaelt  beloved  brethren,  the  Scripture  moveth  us,  in 
sundry  places,  to  acknowledge  and  confess  our  manifold 
sins  and  wickedness  ;  and  that  we  should  not  dissemble 
nor  cloak  them  before  the  face  of  Almighty  God,  our  heav- 
enly Father  ;  but  confess  them  with  an  liumble,  lowly, 
penitent,  and  obedient  heart ;  to  the  end  that  we  may  ob- 
tain forgiveness  of  the  same,  by  -his  infinite  goodness  and 
mercy.  And  although  we  ought,  at  all  times,  humbly  to 
acknowledge  our  sins  before  God ;  yet  ought  we  chiefly 
so  to  do,  when  we  assemble  and  meet  together  to  render 
thanks  for  the  great  benefits  that  we  have  received  at  his 
hands,  to  set  forth  his  most  worthy  praise,  to  hear  his  most 


THE  ORDER  FOR  DAILY  EVEXING  PRAYER.  315 

holy  Word,  and  to  ask  those  things  which  are  requisite  and 
necessary,  as  well  for  the  body  as  the  soul.  Wherefore  I 
pray  and  beseech  you,  as  many  as  are  here  present,  to  ac- 
company me  with  a  pure  heart,  and  humble  voice,  unto  the 
throne  of  the  heavenly  grace,  saying — 

A  General  Confession. 

^  To  be  said  by  (he  ivhole  CongregcUion,  after  the  Minister^  all  kneeling. 

Almighty  and  most  merciful  Father  ;  We  have  erred, 
and  strayed  from  thy  ways  like  lost  sheep.  W^e  have  fol- 
lowed too  much  tlie  devices  and  desires  of  our  own  hearts. 
We  have  offended  against  thy  holy  laws.  We  have  left  un- 
done those  things  which  we  ought  to  have  done  ;  And  we 
have  done  those  things  which  we  ought  not  to  have  done  ; 
And  there  is  no  health  in  us.  But  thou,  0  Lord,  have 
mercy  upon  us,  miserable  offenders.  Spare  thou  those,  0 
God,  who  confess  their  faults.  Eestore  thou  those  who  are 
penitent ;  According  to  thy  promises  declared  unto  man- 
kind in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord.  And  grant,  0  most  merci- 
ful Father,  for  his  sake  ;  That  we  may  hereafter  live  a 
godly,  righteous,  and  sober  life.  To  the  glory  of  thy  holy 
Name.     Amen. 

Tlie  Declaration  of  AhsoJution,  or  Remission  of  Sins. 

^  To  he  made  hj  the  Priest  alone,  standing  ;  the  People  still  kneeling. 

Almighty  God,  the  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
who  desireth  not  the  death  of  a  sinner,  but  rather  that  he 
may  turn  from  his  wickedness  and  live,  hath  given  power, 
and  commandment,  to  his  Ministers,  to  declare  and  pro- 
nounce to  his  people,  being  penitent,  the  Absolution  and 
Remission  of  their  sins.  He  pardoneth  and  absolveth  all 
those  who  truly  repent,  and  unfeignedly  believe  his  holy 
Gospel.  Wherefore  let  us  beseech  him  to  grant  us  true  re- 
pentance, and  his  Iloly  Spirit,  that  those  things  may  please 
him  which  we  do  at  this  present ;  and  that  the  rest  of  our 


31G  THE  ORDER  FOR  DAILY  E VEXING  PRAYER. 

life  hereafter  may  be  pure  and  holy  ;  so  that  at  the  last  we 
may  come  to  his  eternal  joy  ;  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord. 

1[  llie  People  shall  answer  here,  and  at  the  end  of  every  prayer,  Amen. 

«^  Or  this. 

Almighty  God,  our  heavenly  Father,  who  of  his  great 
mercy  hath  promised  forgiveness  of  sins  to  all  those  who, 
with  hearty  repentance  and  true  faith,  turn  unto  him  ; 
Have  mercy  upon  you  ;  pardon  and  deliver  you  from  all 
your  sins  ;  confirm  and  strengthen  you  in  all  goodness  ;  and 
bring  you  to  everlasting  life  ;  through  Jesus  Christ  our 
Lord.     Amen. 

^  Then  the  Minister  shall  kneel,  and  say  the  Lord's  Prayer  ;  the  People  still 
kneeling,  and  repeating  it  with  him,  both  here,  and  wheresoever  else  it  is 
tcsed  in  Divine  Service. 

Our  Father,  who  art  in  heaven,  Hallowed  be  thy  Name. 
Thy  kingdom  come.  Thy  will  be  done  on  earth,  As  it  is 
in  heaven.  Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread.  And  forgive 
us  our  trespasses.  As  we  forgive  those  who  trespass  against 
us.  And  lead  us  not  into  temptation  ;  But  deliver  us  from 
evil :  For  thine  is  the  kingdom,  and  the  power,  and  the 
glory,  for  ever  and  ever.     Amen. 

^  Then  likewise  he  shall  say, 

0  Lord,  open  thou  our  lips. 

Answer.  And  our  mouth  shall  show  forth  thy  praise. 

^  Hei-e,  all  standing  vp,  the  Minister  shall  say, 

Glory  be  to  the  Father,  and  to  the  Son,  and  to  the  Holy 
Ghost ; 

Answer.  As  it  was  in  the  beginning,  is  now,  and  ever 
shall  be,  world  without  end.     Amen. 

Minister.  Praise  ye  the  Lord. 

Ansiver.  The  Lord's  Name  be  praised. 

T[  T/icn  shall  folloio  a  Portion  of  the  Psalms,  a.^  they  are  appointed,  or  one  of 
the  Selections,  as  they  are  set  forth  by  this  Church,  with  the  Doxology,  as 
in  the  Morning  Service. 


THE  ORDER  FOE  DAILY  EVEmNG  PRAYER.  317 

T[  TJieti  shall  be  read  the  first  Lesson,  accordhifj  to  ilie  Table  or  Calendar. 

T[  After  which  shall  he  said  or  sung  the  following  Psalm,  except  when  it  is 
read  in  the  ordinary  course  of  the  Fsalins,  on  the  nineteenth  day  of  the 
month. 

Cantate  Domino.     Psalm  xcviii. 

0  SING  unto  the  Lord  a  new  song ;  for  he  hath  done 
marvellous  things. 

With  his  own  right  hand,  and  with  his  holy  arm,  hath 
he  gotten  himself  the  victory. 

The  Lord  declared  his  salvation  ;  his  righteousness  hath 
he  openly  showed  in  the  sight  of  the  heathen. 

He  hath  remembered  his  mercy  and  truth  toward  the 
house  of  Israel ;  and  all  the  ends  of  the  world  have  seen  the 
salvation  of  our  God. 

Sliow  yourselves  joyful  unto  the  Lord,  all  ye  lands ; 
sing,  rejoice,  and  give  thanks. 

Praise  the  Lord  upon  the  harp  ;  sing  to  the  harp  with 
a  psalm  of  thanksgiving. 

With  trumpets  also  and  shawms,  0  show  yourselves  joy- 
ful before  the  Lord  the  King. 

Let  the  sea  make  a  noise,  and  all  that  therein  is  ;  the 
round  world,  and  they  that  dwell  therein. 

Let  the  floods  clap  their  hands,  and  let  the  hills  be  joy- 
ful together  before  the  Lord  ;  for  he  cometh  to  judge  the 
earth. 

With  righteousness  shall  he  judge  the  world,  and  the 

people  with  equity. 

1  Or  this. 

Bonum  est  confiteri.     Psalm  xcii. 

It  is  a  good  thing  to  give  thanks  unto  the  Lord,  and  to 
sing  praises  unto  thy  Name,  0  Most  Highest ; 

To  tell  of  tliy  loving-kindness  early  in  the  morning,  and 
of  thy  truth  in  the  niglit  season  ; 

Upon  an  instrument  of  ten  strings,  and  upon  the  lute ; 
upon  a  loud  instrument,  and  upon  the  harp. 


318  ISE  ORDER  FOR  DAILY  EVENmO  PRAYER. 

For  tliou,  LoED,  hast  made  me  glad  through  thy  works ; 
and  I  will  rejoice  in  giving  praise  for  the  operations  of  thy 
hands. 

1  Then  a  Lesson  of  the  Xew  Testament,  as  it  is  appointed. 

^  And  after  that,  shall  be  sung  or  said  this  Psalm,  except  on  the  twelfth  day 

of  the  month. 

Deus  misercatur.     Psalm  Ixvii. 

God  be  merciful  unto  us,  and  bless  us,  and  show  us  the 
light  of  his  countenance,  and  be  merciful  unto  us  ; 

That  thy  way  may  be  known  upon  earth,  thy  saving 
health  among  all  nations. 

Let  the  people  praise  thee,  0  God  ;  yea,  let  all  the  peo- 
j)le  praise  thee. 

0  let  the  nations  rejoice  and  be  glad  ;  for  thou  shalt 
judge  the  folk  righteously,  and  govern  the  nations  upon 
earth. 

Let  the  people  praise  thee,  0  God ;  yea,  let  all  the  peo- 
ple praise  thee. 

Then  shall  the  earth  bring  forth  her  increase  ;  and  God, 
even  our  own  God,  shall  give  us  his  blessing. 

God  shall  bless  us  ;  and  all  the  ends  of  the  world  shall 
fear  him. 

^  Or  this. 

Benedic,  anima  meet.     Psalm  ciii. 

Praise  the  Lord,  0  my  soul ;  and  all  that  is  within 
me,  praise  his  holy  Name. 

Praise  the  Lord,  0  my  soul,  and  forget  not  all  his 
benefits  ; 

Who  forgiveth  all  thy  sin,  and  healeth  all  thine  infirmi- 
ties ; 

Who  saveth  thy  life  from  destruction,  and  crowneth 
thee  with  mercy  and  loving-kindness. 

0  praise  the  Lord,  ye  Angels  of  his,  ye  that  excel  in 
strength  ;  ye  that  fulfil  his  commandment,  and  hearken 
unto  the  voice  of  his  word. 


THE  ORDER  FOR  DAILY  EVEXING  PRAYER.  319 

0  praise  the  Lord,  all  ye  his  hosts  ;  ye  servants  of  his 
that  do  his  pleasure. 

0  speak  good  of  the  Lord,  all  ye  works  of  his,  in  all 
places  of  his  dominion  ;  praise  thou  the  Lord,  0  my  soul. 

^  Then  shall  be  said  the  Apostles'  Creed  hy  the  Minister  and  the  People  stand- 
ing. And  any  Churches  may  omit  the  icords,  lie  descended  into  hell,  or 
may,  histead  of  them,  use  the  words.  He  went  into  the  place  of  departed 
spirits,  which  are  eojisidered  as  words  of  the  same  meaning  in  the  Creed. 

1  BELIEVE  in  God  the  Father  Almighty,  Maker  of  heaven 
and  earth  : 

And  in  Jesus  Christ,  his  only  Sqn,  our  Lord  ;  "Who  was 
conceived  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  Born  of  the  Virgin  Mary  ; 
Suffered  under  Pontius  Pilate,  "Was  crucified,  dead,  and 
buried  ;  He  descended  into  hell.  The  third  day  he  rose  from 
the  dead ;  He  ascended  into  heaven.  And  sitteth  on  the 
right  hand  of  God  the  Father  Almighty  ;  From  thence  he 
shall  come  to  judge  the  quick  and  the  dead. 

I  believe  in  the  Holy  Ghost ;  The  holy  Catholic  Church, 
The  Communion  of  Saints  ;  The  Forgiveness  of  sins  ;  The 
Eesurrection  of  the  body ;  And  the  Life  everlasting.    Amen. 

<T[  Or  this. 

I  BELIEVE  in  one  God  the  Father  Almighty,  Maker  of 
heaven  and  earth,  And  of  all  things  visible  and  invisible  : 

And  in  one  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  only-begotten  Son 
of  God,  Begotten  of  his  Father  before  all  worlds ;  God  of 
God,  Light  of  Light,  very  God  of  very  God,  Begotten,  not 
made,  Being  of  one  substance  with  the  Father,  By  whom 
all  things  were  made  ;  "Who,  for  us  men,  and  for  our  sal- 
vation came  down  from  heaven.  And  was  incarnate  by  the 
Holy  Ghost  of  the  "Virgin  Mary,  And  was  made  man,  And 
was  crucified  also  for  us  under  Pontius  Pilate.  He  suffered 
and  was  buried.  And  the  third  day  he  rose  again,  accord- 
ing to  the  Scriptures,  And  ascended  into  heaven.  And  sit- 
teth on  the  right  hand  of  the  Father  ;  And  he  shall  come 
again  with  glory  to  judge  both  the  quick  and  the  dead  ; 
Whose  kingdom  shall  have  no  end. 


320  THE  ORDER  FOR  DAILY  EYEXIXO  PRAYER. 

And  I  believe  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  Lord  and  Giyer 
of  Life,  Who  proceedeth  from  the  Father  and  the  Son, 
Who  with  the  Father  and  the  Son  together  is  worshipped 
and  glorified,  Who  spake  by  the  Prophets.  And  I  believe 
one  Catholic  and  Apostolic  Church.  I  acknowledge  one 
Baptism  for  the  remission  of  sins.  And  I  look  for  the  Res- 
urrection of  the  dead,  And  the  Life  of  the  world  to  come. 
Amen. 

^  And  after  that,  these  Prayers  following,  all  devoutly  kneeling  ;  the  Minis- 
ter frst  jjronouncing, 

The  Lord  be  with  you. 
Anstoer.  And  with  thy  spirit. 

Minister.  Let  us  pray. 
0  Lord,  show  thy  mercy  upon  us. 
A  7isiver.  And  grant  us  thy  salvation. 
Minister.  0  God,  make  clean  our  hearts  within  us. 
Ansiver.  And  take  not  thy  Holy  Spirit  from  us. 

T[  Tlicn  shall  be  said  the  Collect  for  the  day,  and  after  that  the  Collects  and. 

Prayers  folloiving. 

A  Colled  for  Peace. 

0  God,  from  whom  all  holy  desires,  all  good  counsels, 
and  all  just  works  do  proceed  ;  Give  unto  thy  servants  that 
peace,  which  the  world  cannot  give  ;  that  our  hearts  may 
be  set  to  obey  thy  commandments,  and  also  that  by  thee, 
we,  being  defended  from  the  fear  of  our  enemies,  may  pass 
our  time  in  rest  and  quietness  ;  through  the  merits  of  Jesus 
Christ  our  Saviour.     Amen. 

A  Collect  for  Aid  against  Perils. 

0  Lord,  our  heavenly  Father,  by  whose  Almighty 
power  we  have  been  preserved  this  day  ;  By  thy  great 
mercy  defend  us  from  all  perils  and  dangers  of  this  night ; 
for  the  love  of  thy  only  Son,  our  Saviour,  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen. 


THE  ORDER  FOR  DAILY  EVEmyG  PRATER.  321 

A  Prayer  for  the  President  of  the  United  States,  and  all 

in  Civil  Authority. 

0  Lord,  our  heavenly  Father,  the  high  and  mighty 
Ruler  of  the  universe,  who  dost  from  thy  throne  behold 
all  the  dwellers  upon  earth  ;  Most  heartily  we  beseech  thee, 
with  thy  favour  to  behold  and  bless  thy  servant  The  Presi- 
dent OF  THE  United  States,  and  all  others  in  authority ; 
and  so  replenish  them  with  the  grace  of  thy  Holy  Spirit, 
that  they  may  always  incline  to  thy  will,  and  walk  in  thy 
way.  Endue  them  plenteously  with  heavenly  gifts  ;  grant 
them  in  health  and  prosperity  long  to  live  ;  and  finally, 
after  this  life,  to  attain  everlasting  joy  and  felicity  ;  through 
Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.     Amen. 

A  Prayer  for  the  Clergy  and  People. 

Almighty  and  everlasting  God,  from  whom  cometh 
every  good  and  perfect  gift  ;  Send  down  upon  our  Bishops, 
and  other  Clergy,  and  upon  the  Congregations  committed 
to  their  charge,  the  healthful  Spirit  of  thy  grace  ;  and,  that 
they  may  truly  please  thee,  pour  upon  them  the  continual 
dew  of  thy  blessing.  Grant  this,  0  Lord,  for  the  honour 
of  our  Advocate  and  Mediator,  Jesus  Christ.     Amen. 

A  Prayer  for  all  Conditions  of  Men. 

0  God,  the  Creator  and  Preserver  of  all  mankind,  we 
humbly  beseech  thee  for  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  men  ; 
that  thou  wouldest  be  pleased  to  make  thy  ways  known  unto 
them,  thy  saving  health  unto  all  nations.  More  especially 
Ave  pray  for  thy  holy  Church  universal ;  that  it  may  be  so 
guided  and  governed  by  thy  good  Spirit,  that  all  who  pro- 
fess and  call  themselves  Christians  may  be  led  into  the  way 
of  truth,  and  hold  the  faith  in  unity  of  spirit,  in  the  bond 
of  peace,  and  in  righteousness  of  life.  Finally,  we  com- 
mend to  thy  fatherly  goodness  all  those  who  arc  any  ways 
afflicted,  or  distressed,  in  mind,  body,  or  estate  ;  that  it 


822  TEE  ORDER  FOR  DAILY  EVENING  PRAYER. 

may  please  thee  to  comfort  and  relieve  them,  according  to 
their  several  necessities  ;  giving  them  patience  under  their 
sufferings,  and  a  happy  issue  out  of  all  their  afQictions. 
And  this  we  beg  for  Jesus  Christ's  sake.     Amen. 

A  General  Tlmnhsgiving. 

Almighty  God,  Father  of  all  mercies,  we,  thine  un- 
worthy servants,  do  give  thee  most  humble  and  hearty 
thanks  for  all  thy  goodness  and  loving-kindness  to  us,  and 
to  all  men.  We  bless  thee  for  our  creation,  preservation, 
and  all  the  blessings  of  this  life ;  but  above  all,  for  thine 
inestimable  love  in  the  redemption  of  the  world  by  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  for  the  means  of  grace,  and  for  the 
hope  of  glory.  And,  we  beseech  thee,  give  us  that  due 
sense  of  all  thy  mercies,  that  our  hearts  may  be  unfeign- 
edly  thankful,  and  that  we  may  show  forth  thy  praise,  not 
only  with  our  lips,  but  in  our  lives  ;  by  giving  up  ourselves 
to  thy  service,  and  by  walking  before  thee  in  holiness  and 
righteousness  all  our  days  ;  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord, 
to  whom,  with  chee  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  be  all  honour  and 
glory,  world  without  end.     Amen. 

A  Prayer  of  St.  Chrysostom. 

Almighty  God,  who  hast  given  us  grace  at  this  time 
with  one  accord  to  make  our  common  supplications  unto 
thee  ;  and  dost  promise  that  when  two  or  three  are  gath- 
ered together  in  thy  Name  thou  wilt  grant  their  requests  ; 
Fulfil  now,  0  Lord,  the  desires  and  petitions  of  thy  servants, 
as  may  be  most  expedient  for  them  ;  granting  us  in  this  world 
knowledge  of  thy  truth,  and  in  the  world  to  come  life  ever- 
lasting.    Amen. 

2  Cor.  xiii.,  14. 

The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  love  of 
God,  and  the  fellowship  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  be  with  us  all 
evermore.     Amen. 

Here  endcth  the  Order  of  Evening  Prayer. 


THE    LITANY, 

OE  GENEEAL   SXJPPLICATIOK 

T[  To  he  used  afler  Morning  Service,  on  Sundays,  Wednesdays,  and  Fridays. 


0  God  the  Father  of  Heaven ;  have  mercy  upon  ns 
miserable  sinners. 

0  God  the  Father  of  Heaven ;  have  mercy  upon  us 
miseraUe  sinners. 

0  God  the  Son,  Eedeemer  of  the  world ;  have  mercy 
upon  us  miserable  sinners. 

0  God  the  Son,  Redeemer  of  the  loorld ;  have  mercy 
U2J071  us  miseraUe  sijiners. 

0  God  the  Holy  Ghost,  proceeding  from  the  Father  and 
the  Son  ;  have  mercy  upon  us  miserable  sinners. 

0  God  the  Holy  Ghost,  proceeding  from  the  Father  and 
the  Son  ;  have  mercy  upon  us  miserable  sinners. 

0  holy,  blessed,  and  glorious  Trinity,  three  Persons  and 
one  God  ;  have  mercy  uiion  us  miserable  sinners. 

0  holy,  Messed,  and  glorious  Trinity,  three  Persons  and 
one  God ;  have  mercy  upon  us  miserable  sinners. 

Eemember  not,  Lord,  our  offences,  nor  the  offences  of 
our  fore-fathers  ;  neither  take  thou  vengeance  of  our  sins  : 
spare  us,  good  Lord,  spare  thy  people,  whom  thou  hast 
redeemed  with  thy  most  precious  blood,  and  be  not  angry 
with  us  for  ever. 

Sp)are  us,  good  Lord. 


321  THE  LITANY,    OR   GENERAL  SUPPLICATION. 

From  all  evil  and  miscliief ;  from  sin  ;  from  the  crafts 
and  assaults  of  the  devil ;  from  thy  wrath,  and  from  ever- 
lasting damnation, 

Good  Lord,  deliver  us. 

From  all  blindness  of  heart ;  from  pride,  vain-glory,  and 
hypocrisy  ;  from  envy,  hatred,  and  malice,  and  all  unchari- 
tableness. 

Good  Lord,  deliver  us. 

From  all  inordinate  and  sinfnl  affections  ;  and  from  all 
the  deceits  of  the  world,  the  flesh,  and  the  devil. 

Good  Lord,  deliver  lis. 

From  lightning  and  tempest ;  from  plague,  pestilence, 
and  famine  ;  from  battle  and  murder,  and  from  sudden 
death. 

Good  Lord,  deliver  us. 

From  all  sedition,  privy  conspiracy,  and  rebellion  ;  from 
all  false  doctrine,  heresy,  and  schism  ;  from  hardness  of 
heart,  and  contempt  of  thy  Word  and  Commandment, 

Good  Lord,  deliver  us. 

By  the  mystery  of  thy  holy  Incarnation  ;  by  thy  holy 
Nativity  and  Circumcision  ;  by  thy  Baptism,  Fasting,  and 
Temptation, 

Good  Lord,  deliver  us. 

By  thine  Agony  and  Bloody  Sweat ;  by  thy  Cross  and 
Passion  ;  by  thy  precious  Death  and  Burial ;  by  thy  glori- 
ous Eesurrcction  and  Ascension  ;  and  by  the  coming  of  the 
Holy  Ghost, 

Good  Lord,  deliver  us. 

In  all  time  of  our  tribulation ;  in  all  time  of  our  pros- 
perity ;  in  the  hour  of  death,  and  in  the  day  of  judgment, 

Good  Lord,  deliver  us. 

We  sinners  do  beseech  thee  to  hear  us,  0  Lord  God ; 
and  that  it  may  please  thee  to  riile  and  govern  thy  holy 
Church  universal  in  the  right  way  ; 

We  beseech  thee  to  hear  tis,  good  Lord. 

That  it  may  please  thee  to  bless  and  preserve  all  Chris- 


THE  LIT  AX  Y,    OR   GENERAL  SUPPLICATIOX.   325 

tian  Eiilers  aud  Magistrates,  giving  them  grace  to  execute 
justice,  aud  to  maintain  truth  ; 

We  beseech  thee  to  hear  us,  good  Lord. 

That  it  may  please  thee  to  illuminate  all  Bishops, 
Priests,  and  Deacons,  with  true  knowledge  and  understand- 
ing of  thy  Word  ;  and  that  both  by  their  preaching  and 
living  they  may  set  it  forth,  and  show  it  accordingly  ; 

We  beseech  thee  to  hear  us,  good  Lord. 

That  it  may  please  thee  to  bless  and  keep  all  thy  people  ; 

We  beseech  thee  to  hear  us,  good  Lord. 

That  it  may  please  thee  to  give  to  all  nations  unity, 
peace,  and  concord  ; 

We  beseech  thee  to  hear  us,  good  Lord. 

That  it  may  please  thee  to  give  us  an  heart  to  love  and 
fear  thee,  and  diligently  to  live  after  thy  commandments  ; 

We  beseech  thee  to  hear  us,  good  Lord. 

That  it  may  please  thee  to  give  to  all  thy  people  increase 
of  grace  to  hear  meekly  thy  Word,  and  to  receive  it  with 
l)urc  affection,  and  to  bring  forth  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit ; 

We  beseech  thee  to  hear  us,  good  Lord. 

That  it  may  please  thee  to  bring  into  the  way  of  truth 
all  such  as  have  erred,  and  are  deceived  ; 

We  beseech  thee  to  hear  us,  good  Lord. 

That  it  may  please  thee  to  strengthen  such  as  do  stand  ; 
and  to  comfort  and  help  the  weak-hearted  ;  and  to  raise  up 
those  who  fall ;  and  finally  to  beat  down  Satan  under  our 
feet ; 

We  beseech  thee  to  hear  us,  good  Lord. 

That  it  may  please  thee  to  succour,  help,  and  comfort, 
all  who  are  in  danger,  necessity,  and  tribulation  ; 

We  beseech  thee  to  hear  us,  good  Lord. 

That  it  may  please  thee  to  preserve  all  who  travel  by 
land  or  by  water,  all  women  in  the  perils  of  child-birth,  all 
sick  persons,  and  )'Oung  children  ;  and  to  show  thy  pity 
upon  all  prisoners  and  captives  ; 

We  beseech  thee  to  hear  us,  good  Lord. 


326   THE  LITANY,    OR   GENERAL  SUPPLICATION: 

That  it  may  please  thee  to  defend,  and  provide  for,  the 
fatherless  children,  and  widows,  and  all  who  are  desolate 
and  oppressed ; 

We  beseech  thee  to  hear  us,  good  Lord. 

That  it  may  please  thee  to  have  mercy  wpon  all  men  ; 

}Ve  beseech  thee  to  hear  us,  good  Lord. 

That  it  may  please  thee  to  forgive  our  enemies,  perse- 
cutors, and  slanderers,  and  to  turn  their  hearts  ; 

We  beseech  thee  to  hear  us,  good  Lord. 

That  it  may  please  thee  to  give  and  preserve  to  our  use 
the  kindly  fruits  of  the  earth,  so  that  in  due  time  we  may 
enjoy  them  ; 

We  beseech  thee  to  hear  us,  good  Lord. 

That  it  may  please  thee  to  give  us  true  repentance  ;  to 
forgive  us  all  our  sins,  negligences,  and  ignorances  ;  and  to 
endue  us  with  the  grace  of  thy  Holy  Spirit  to  amend  our 
lives  according  to  thy  holy  Word  ; 

We  beseech  thee  to  hear  us,  good  Lord. 

Son  of  God,  we  beseech  thee  to  hear  us. 

Son  of  God,  ive  beseech  thee  to  hear  us. 

0  Lamb  of  God,  who  takest  away  the  sins  of  the  world  ; 

Grant  us  thy  peace. 

0  Lamb  of  God,  who  takest  away  the  sins  of  the  world  ; 

Have  mercy  upon  us. 

^  The  Minister  may,  at  his  discretion,  omit  all  that  follows,  to  the  Prayer, 
"  We  humbly  beseech  thee,  0  Father,"  &c. 

0  Christ,  hear  us. 
0  Christ,  hear  us. 
Lord,  have  mercy  upon  us. 
Lord,  have  mercy  upon  us. 
Christ,  have  mercy  upon  us. 
Christ,  have  mercy  upon  us. 
Lord,  have  mercy  upon  us. 
Lord,  have  mercy  upon  us. 

^  Tficn  shall  the  Minister,  and  the  People  with  7iim,  say  the  Lord's  Prayer. 


THE  LITANY,    OR   GEXERAL  SUPPLICATION.  327 

Our  Father,  who  art  iu  heaven,  Hallowed  be  thy  Name. 
Thy  kingdom  come.  Thy  will  be  done  on  earth,  As  it  is  in 
heaven.  Give  ns  this  day  our  daily  bread.  And  forgive  us 
our  trespasses,  As  we  forgive  those  who  trespass  against  ns. 
And  lead  us  not  into  temptation  ;  But  deliver  us  from  evil. 
Amen. 

3Iinister.  0  Lord  deal  not  with  us  according  to  our  sins. 

Ansioer.  Neither  reward  us  according  to  our  iniquities. 

Let  us  pray. 

0  God,  merciful  Father,  vrho  despisest  not  the  sighing 
of  a  contrite  heart,  nor  the  desire  of  such  as  are  sorrowful ; 
Mercifully  assist  our  prayers  which  we  make  before  thee  in 
all  our  troubles  and  adversities,  whensoever  they  oppress 
us  ;  and  graciously  hear  us,  that  those  evils  which  the  craft 
and  subtilty  of  the  devil  or  man  worketh  against  us,  may, 
by  tliy  good  providence,  be  brought  to  nought ;  that  we 
thy  servants,  being  hurt  by  no  persecutions,  may  evermore 
give  thanks  unto  thee  in  thy  holy  Church  ;  through  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord. 

0  Lord,  arise,  lielp  us,  and  deliver  us  for  thy  Harness 
sake. 

0  God,  we  have  heard  with  our  ears,  and  our  fathers 
have  declared  unto  us,  the  noble  works  that  thou  didst  in 
their  days,  and  in  the  old  time  before  them. 

0  Lord,  arise,  help  us,  and  deliver  tcsfor  thine  honour. 

Glory  be  to  the  Father,  and  to  the  Son,  and  to  the  Holy 
Ghost ; 

Ansiuer.  As  it  was  in  tlie  beginning,  is  now,  and  ever 
shall  be,  world  without  end.     Amen. 

From  our  enemies  defend  us,  0  Christ. 

Graciously  looh  upon  our  afflictions. 

With  pity  beliold  the  sorrows  of  our  hearts. 

Mercifully  forgive  the  sins  of  thy  people. 

Favourably  with  mercy  hear  our  prayers. 

0  Son  of  David,  have  mercy  upon  us. 


32S  TEE  LITANY,    OR   GENERAL  SUPPLICATIOK 

Both  now  and  ever  vouchsafe  to  hear  us,  0  Christ. 
Graciously  hear  lis,   0  Christ;  graciously  hear  us,   0 
Lord  Christ. 

Minister.  0  Lord,  let  thy  mercy  be  showed  upon  us  ; 
Ansioer.  As  we  do  put  our  trust  in  thee. 

Let  us  pray. 

We  humbly  beseech  thee,  0  Father,  mercifully  to  look 
upon  our  infirmities  ;  and,  for  the  glory  of  thy  Name,  turn 
from  us  all  those  evils  that  we  most  justly  have  deserved  ; 
and  grant,  that  in  all  our  troubles  we  may  put  our  whole 
trust  and  confidence  in  thy  mercy,  and  evermore  serve  thee 
in  holiness  and  pureness  of  living,  to  thy  honour  and  glory  ; 
through  our  only  Mediator  and  Advocate,  Jesus  Christ  our 
Lord.     Amen. 

A  General  ThanTcsgiving. 

Almighty  God,  Father  of  all  mercies,  we,  thine  un- 
worthy servants,  do  give  thee  most  humble  and  hearty 
thanks  for  all  thy  goodness  and  loving-kindness  to  us,  and 
to  all  men.  We  bless  thee  for  our  creation,  preservation, 
and  all  the  blessings  of  this  life ;  but,  above  all,  for  thine 
inestimable  love  in  the  redemption  of  the  world  by  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ ;  for  the  means  of  gi-ace,  and  for  the  hope  of 
glory.  And,  we  beseech  thee,  give  us  that  due  sense  of  all 
thy  mercies,  that  our  hearts  may  be  unfeignedly  thankful, 
and  that  we  show  forth  thy  praise,  not  only  with  our  lips, 
but  in  our  lives  ;  by  giving  up  ourselves  to  thy  service, 
and  by  walking  before  thee  in  holiness  and  righteousness 
all  our  days  ;  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord,  to  whom, 
with  thee  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  be  all  honour  and  glory, 
world  without  end.     Amen. 

A  Prayer  of  St,  Chrysostom. 

Almighty  God,  who  hast  given  us  grace  at  this  time 
with  one  accord  to  make  our  common  supplications  unto 
thee  ;  and  dost  promise  that  when  two  or  three  are  gathered 


THE  LITANY,    OR   GENERAL  SUPPLICATION.  329 

together  in  tliy  Name  thou  wilt  grant  their  requests  ;  Ful- 
fil now,  0  Lord,  the  desires  and  petitions  of  thy  servants, 
as  may  be  most  exi)edieut  for  them ;  grantiug  ns  in  this 
world  knowledge  of  thy  truth,  and  in  the  world  to  come 
life  everlasting.     Amen. 

2  Cor.  xiii.,  14. 

The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  love  of 
God,  and  the  fellowship  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  be  with  us  all 
evermore.     Amen. 

Here  eiiddk  the  Litany. 


THE   ORDER   FOR  THE 

ADMINISTRATION   OF  THE  LOED'S   SUPPER, 

OR 

HOLY   COMMUNION. 


Our  Father,  who  art  in  heaven,  Hallowed  be  thy  Name. 
Thy  kingdom  come.  Thy  will  be  done  on  earth.  As  it  is 
in  heaven.  Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread.  And  forgive 
us  our  trespasses,  As  we  forgive  tliose  who  trespass  against 
us.  And  lead  us  not  into  temptation  ;  But  deliver  us  from 
evil  :  For  thine  is  the  Kingdom,  and  the  Power,  and  the 
Glory,  for  ever  and  ever.     Amen. 

The  Collect. 

Almighty  God,  unto  whom  all  hearts  are  open,  all  de- 
sires known,  and  from  whom  no  secrets  are  hid  ;  Cleanse 
the  thoughts  of  our  hearts  by  the  inspiration  of  thy  Holy 
Spirit,  that  we  may  perfectly  love  thee,  and  worthily  mag- 
nify thy  holy  Name  ;  through  Christ  our  Lord.     Amen. 

^  Then  shall  the  Minis/cr,  lurning  to  the  People,  reheajse  distincfhj  the  Ten 
Commandments  ;  and  the  People,  still  kneelinff,  shall,  after  evein/  com- 
mandment, ask  God  mercy  for  their  transgressions  for  the  time  past,  and 
grace  to  keep  the  law  for  the  time  to  come,  as  followefh. 

Mmistcr. 

God  spake  these  words,  and  said  ;  I  am  the  Lord  thy 
God  :  Thou  shalt  have  none  other  gods  but  me. 


LORD'S  SUPPER,    OR  HOLY  COMMUmOK     331 

People.  Lord,  have  mercy  upon  lis,  and  incline  our 
hearts  to  keep  this  law. 

Minister.  Thou  shult  not  make  to  thyself  any  graven 
image,  nor  the  likeness  of  any  thing  that  is  in  heaven 
above,  or  in  the  earth  beneath,  or  in  the  water  under  the 
earth.  Thou  shalt  not  bow  down  to  them,  nor  Avorship 
them  :  for  I  the  Lord  thy  God  am  a  jealous  God,  and  visit 
the  sins  of  the  fathers  upon  the  children,  unto  the  third 
and  fourth  generation  of  them  that  hate  me  ;  and  show 
mercy  unto  thousands  in  them  that  love  me,  and  keep  my 
commandments. 

Peojjle.  Lord,  have  mercy  upon  us,  and  incline  our 
hearts  to  keep  this  law. 

Minister.  Thou  shalt  not  take  the  Name  of  the  Lord 
thy  God  in  vain  :  for  the  Lord  will  not  hold  him  guiltless 
that  taketh  his  Name  in  vain. 

People.  Lord,  have  mercy  upon  us,  and  incline  our 
hearts  to  keep  this  law. 

Minister.  Kemember  that  thou  keep  holy  the  Sabbath- 
day.  Six  days  shalt  thou  labour,  and  do  all  that  thou  hast 
to  do  ;  but  the  seventh  day  is  the  Sabbath  of  the  Lord  thy 
God.  In  it  thou  shalt  do  no  manner  of  work  ;  thou,  and 
thy  son,  and  thy  daughter,  thy  man-servant,  and  thy  maid- 
servant, thy  cattle,  and  the  stranger  that  is  within  thy 
gates.  For  in  six  days  the  Lord  made  heaven  and  earth, 
the  sea,  and  all  that  in  them  is,  and  rested  the  seventh  day  : 
wherefore  the  Lord  blessed  the  seventh  day,  and  hallowed 
it. 

People.  Lord,  have  mercy  upon  us,  and  incline  our 
hearts  to  keep  this  law. 

Minister.  Honour  thy  father  and  thy  mother  ;  that  thy 
days  may  be  long  in  the  land  which  the  Lord  thy  God 
giveth  thee. 

People.  Lord,  have  mercy  upon  us,  and  incline  our 
hearts  to  keep  this  law. 

Minister.  Thou  shalt  do  no  murder. 


332     LORD'S  SUPPER,    OR  HOLY  COMMUNION. 

People.  Lord,  have  mercy  upon  us,  and  incline  our 
hearts  to  keep  this  law. 

Minister.  Thou  shalt  not  commit  adultery. 

People.  Lord,  have  mercy  upon  us,  and  incline  our 
hearts  to  keep  this  law. 

Minister.  Thou  shalt  not  steal. 

People.  Lord,  have  mercy  upon  us,  and  incline  our 
hearts  to  keep  this  law. 

Minister.  Thou  shalt  not  bear  false   witness  against  thy 
neighbour. 

People.  Lord,  have  mercy  upon  us,  and  incline  our 
hearts  to  keep  this  law. 

Minister.  Thou  shalt  not  covet  thy  neighbour's  house, 
thou  shalt  not  covet  thy  neighbour's  wife,  nor  his  servant, 
nor  his  maid,  nor  his  ox,  nor  his  ass,  nor  any  thing  that  is 
his. 

People.  Lord,  have  mercy  upon  us,  and  write  all  these 
thy  laws  in  our  hearts,  we  beseech  thee. 

*[[  Then  the  Minister  may  say. 

Hear  also  what  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  saitli  : 
Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart, 
and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind.  This  is  the 
first  and  great  commandment.  And  the  second  is  like 
unto  it;  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbour  as  thyself.  On 
these  two  commandments  hang  all  the  Law  and  the  Pro- 
phets. 

Let  us  pray. 

0  ALMIGHTY  Lord,  and  everlasting  God,  vouchsafe,  we 
beseech  thee,  to  direct,  sanctify,  and  govern,  both  our 
hearts  and  bodies,  in  the  ways  of  thy  laws,  and  in  the 
works  of  thy  commandments ;  that,  through  thy  most 
mighty  protection,  both  here  and  ever,  we  may  be  preserved 
in  body  and  soul ;  through  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ.     Amen. 

^  Then  shall  he  said  the   Collect  of  the  Day.     Aiid  immediately  after  the 
Collect  the  Minister  shall  read  the  Epistle,  sayiny,  The  Epistle  [or,  The 


LORD'S  SUPPER,    OR  HOLY  COMMlTXIOy.      333 

portion  of  Fciipture  appointed  for  the   Epistle]  is  written  in  the  — 

Chapter  of  ,  beginning  at  the  —  Verse.     And  the  Epistle  ended,  he 

shall  say,  Here  endeth  the  Epistle.  TJien  shall  he  read  the  Gospel  (the 
People  all  standing  up)  saying,  The  Holy  Gospel  is  written  in  the  — 
Chapter  of ,  beginning  at  the  —  Verse. 


Here  the  People  shall  say, 


Glory  be  to  tlicC;,  0  Lord. 

^  T7ten  shall  be  read  the  Aposile'i\  or  .Kiccne  Creed ;  unless  one  of  them  hath 
been  read  immediately  before  in  the  Morning  Service. 

^  Tlien  the  Minister  shall  declare  unto  the  People  whcd  Holy-days,  or  Fast- 
ing-days, are  in  the  week  following  to  be  observed ;  and  {if  occasion  be) 
shall  Notice  be  given  of  the  Communion,  and  of  the  Bans  of  Matrimony, 
and  other  matters  to  be  published. 

^  Then  shall  follow  the  Sermon.  Afta-  vthich,  the  Minister,  when  there  is  a 
Communion,  shall  return  to  the  Lord's  Table,  and  begin  the  Ojf'ertory 
saying  one  or  more  of  these  Sentences  following,  as  he  thinketh  most 
convenient. 

Let  your  liglit  so  sliine  before  men,  tliat  they  may  see 
your  good  works,  and  glorify  your  Father  which  is  in  heav- 
en.—St.  Matt,  v.,  IG. 

Lay  not  up  for  yourselves  treasures  upon  earth  ;  where 
moth  and  rust  doth  corrupt,  and  where  tliieves  break 
through  and  steal  :  but  lay  up  for  yourselves  treasures  in 
heaven ;  where  neither  moth  nor  rust  doth  corrupt,  and 
where  thieves  do  not  break  through  nor  steal. — St.  Matt. 
vi.,  19,  20. 

Whatsoever  ye  would  that  men  should  do  to  you,  even 
so  do  to  them  :  for  this  is  the  Law  and  the  Prophets. — St. 
Matt,  vii.,  12. 

Not  every  one  that  saitli  unto  me.  Lord,  Lord,  shall 
enter  into  the  Kingdom  of  heaven  ;  but  he  that  doeth  the 
will  of  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven. — St.  Matt,  vii.,  21. 

Zaccheus  stood  forth,  and  said  unto  the  Lord,  Behold, 
Lord,  the  half  of  my  goods  I  give  to  the  poor  ;  and  if  I 
have  done  any  wrong  to  any  man,  I  restore  fourfold. — St. 
Luke,  xix.,  8. 


334     LORD'S  SUPPER,    OR  HOLY  COMMUNIOK 

Who  goetli  a  warfare  at  any  time  at  his  own  cost  ? 
"Who  planteth  a  vineyard,  and  eateth  not  of  the  fruit  there- 
of ?  Or  who  feedeth  a  flock,  and  eateth  not  of  the  milk  of 
the  flock  ?— 1  Cor.  ix.,  7. 

If  we  have  sown  nnto  you  spiritual  things,  is  it  a  great 
matter  if  we  shall  reap  your  worldly  things  ? — 1  Cor.  ix.,  11. 

Do  ye  not  know,  that  they  who  minister  about  holy 
things  live  of  the  sacrifice  ;  and  they  who  wait  at  the  altar 
are  partakers  with  the  altar  ?  Even  so  hath  the  Lord  also 
ordained,  that  they  who  preach  the  Gospel  should  live  of 
the  Gospel. — 1  Cor.  ix.,  13,  14. 

He  that  soweth  little  shall  reap  little  ;  and  he  that  sow- 
eth  plenteously  shall  reap  plenteously.  Let  every  man  do 
according  as  he  is  disposed  in  his  heart,  not  grudgingly,  or 
of  necessity;  for  God  loveth  a  cheerful  giver. — 2  Cor.  Ix., 
6,  7. 

Let  him  that  is  taught  in  the  Word  minister  unto  him 
that  teacheth,  in  all  good  things.  Be  not  deceived,  God  is 
not  mocked :  for  whatsoever  a  man  soweth  that  shall  he 
reap. — Gal.  vi.,  6,  7. 

While  we  have  time,  let  us  do  good  unto  all  men  ;  and 
especially  unto  them  that  are  of  the  household  of  faith. — 
Gal.  vi.,  10. 

Godliness  is  great  riches,  if  a  man  be  content  with  that 
he  hath  :  for  we  brought  nothing  into  this  world,  neither 
may  we  carry  any  thing  out. — 1  Tim.  vi.,  6,  7. 

Charge  them  who  are  rich  in  this  world,  that  they  be 
ready  to  give,  and  glad  to  distribute  ;  laying  up  in  store  for 
themselves  a  good  foundation  against  the  time  to  come, 
that  they  may  attain  eternal  life. — 1  Tim.  vi.,  17,  18,  19. 

God  is  not  unrighteous,  that  he  will  forget  your  works, 
and  labour  that  proceedeth  of  love  ;  which  love  ye  have 
showed  for  his  Name's  sake,  Avho  have  ministered  unto  the 
saints,  and  yet  do  minister. — Heb.  vi.,  10. 

To  do  good,  and  to  distribute,  forget  not ;  for  with  such 
sacrifices  God  is  well  pleased. — Heb.  xiii.,  16. 


LORD'S  SUPPER,    OR  HOLY  COMMUmOK     335 

Whoso  liatli  this  world's  good,  and  seeth  his  brother 
have  need,  and  shutteth  up  his  compassion  from  him,  how 
dwelleth  the  love  of  God  in  him  ? — 1  St.  John,  iii.,  17. 

Give  alms  of  thy  goods,  and  never  turn  thy  face  from 
any  poor  man  ;  and  then  the  face  of  the  Lord  shall  not  be 
turned  away  from  thee. — Tobit,  iv.,  7. 

Be  merciful  after  thy  power.  If  thou  hast  much,  give 
plenteously  ;  if  thou  hast  little,  do  thy  diligence  gladly  to 
give  of  that  little  :  for  so  gatherest  thou  thyself  a  good  re- 
ward in  the  day  of  necessity. — Tobit,  iv.,  8,  9. 

He  that  hath  pity  upon  the  poor  lendeth  unto  the 
Lord  :  and  look,  what  he  layeth  out,  it  shall  be  paid  him 
again. — Prov.  xix.,  17. 

Blessed  be  the  man  that  provideth  for  the  sick  and 
needy  :  the  Lord  shall  deliver  him  in  the  time  of  trouble. 
— Psalm  xli.,  1. 

^  ]\7iils(  these  Sentences  are  in  reading,  the  Deacons,  Church-wardens,  or 
other  fit  persons  appointed  for  that  purpose,  shall  receive  the  Alms  for  the 
Poor,  and  other  Devotions  of  the  People,  in  a  decent  Basin  to  be  provided 
by  the  Parish  for  that  purpose  ;  and  reverently  brinr/  it  to  the  Priest,  who 
shall  humbly  present  and  place  it  upon  the  Holy  Table. 

^  And  the  Priest  shall  then  place  upon  the  Table  so  much  Bread  and  Wine 
as  he  shall  think  sufficient.     After  ichich  done,  he  shall  say, 

Let  US  pray  for  the  whole  state  of  Christ's  Church  mili- 
tant. 

Almighty  and  overliving  God,  who  by  thy  holy  Apostle 
hast  taught  us  to  make  prayers,  and  sujiplications,  and  to 
give  thanks,  for  all  men ;  We  humbly  beseech  thee  most 
mercifully  [*  to  accept  our  alms  and  oblations,  and]  to  re- 
ceive these  our  prayers,  which  we  offer  unto  thy  Divine 
Majesty  ;  beseeching  thee  to  inspire  continually  the  Uni- 
versal Church  with  the  spirit  of  truth,  unity,  and  concord  : 
And  grant  that  all  those  who  do  confess  thy  holy  Name 
may  agree  in  the  truth  of  thy  holy  Word,  and  live  in  unity, 

*  If  there  be  no  alms  or  oblations,  then  shall  the  tvords  [to  accept  our 
alms  and  oblations,  and]  be  left  unsaid. 
16 


336      LORD'S  SUPPER,    OR  HOLY  COMMUNION, 

and  godly  love.  We  beseech  tliee  also,  so  to  direct  and  dis- 
pose the  hearts  of  all  Christian  Rulers,  that  they  may  truly 
and  impartially  administer  justice,  to  the  punishment  of 
wickedness  and  vice,  and  to  the  maintenance  of  thy  true 
religion,  and  virtue.  Give  grace,  0  heavenly  Father,  to  all 
Bishops  and  other  Ministers,  that  they  may,  both  by  their 
life  and  doctrine,  set  forth  thy  true  and  lively  Word,  and 
rightly  and  duly  administer  thy  holy  Sacraments.  And  to 
all  thy  people  give  thy  heavenly  grace  ;  and  especially  to 
this  congregation  here  present ;  that,  with  meek  heart  and 
due  reverence,  they  may  hear,  and  receive  thy  holy  Word  ; 
truly  serving  thee  in  holiness  and  righteousness  all  the  days 
of  their  life.  And  we  most  humbly  beseech  thee,  of  thy 
goodness,  0  Lord,  to  comfort  and  succour  all  those  who, 
in  this  transitory  life,  are  in  trouble,  sorrow,  need,  sick- 
ness, or  any  other  adversity.  And  we  also  bless  thy  holy 
Name  for  all  thy  servants  departed  this  life  in  thy  faith 
and  fear  ;  beseeching  thee  to  give  us  grace  so  to  follow  their 
good  examples,  that  with  them  we  may  be  iDartakers  of  thy 
heavenly  kingdom.  Grant  this,  0  Father,  for  Jesus  Christ's 
sake,  our  only  Mediator  and  Advocate.     Amen. 

^  When  the  Minister  givcth  icarninr/  for  the  Celebration  of  the  Boh/  Com- 
munion, {u'hieh  he  shall  always  do  upon  the  Sunday,  or  some  Holy  Day, 
immediately  preceding,)  he  shall  read  this  ExJiortaiion  folloioinc/  ;  or  so 
much  thereof  as,  in  his  discreiio7i,  he  may  thinh  convenient, 

Deaely  beloved,  on day  next  I  purpose,  through 

God's  assistance,  to  administer  to  all  such  as  shall  be  relig- 
iously and  devoutly  disposed  the  most  comfortable  Sacra- 
ment of  the  Body  and  Blood  of  Christ ;  to  be  by  them 
received  in  remembrance  of  his  meritorious  Cross  and  Pas- 
sion ;  whereby  alone  we  obtain  remission  of  our  sins,  and 
are  made  partakers  of  the  Kingdom  of  heaven.  Wherefore 
it  is  our  duty  to  render  most  humble  and  hearty  thanks  to 
Almighty  God,  our  heavenly  Father,  for  that  he  hath  given 
his  Son  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  not  only  to  die  for  us, 
but  also  to  be  our  spiritual  food  and  sustenance  in  that 


LORD'S  SUPPER,    OR  HOLY  COMMUNIOK      337 

holy  Sacrament.  Which  being  so  divine  and  comfortable 
a  thing  to  them  who  receive  it  worthily,  and  so  dangerous 
to  those  who  will  presume  to  receive  it  unworthily ;  my 
duty  is  to  exhort  you,  in  the  mean  season,  to  consider  the 
dignity  of  that  holy  mystery,  and  the  great  peril  of  the  un- 
worthy receiving  thereof  ;  and  so  to  search  and  examine 
your  own  consciences,  (and  that  not  lightly,  and  after  the 
manner  of  dissemblers  with  God  ;  but  so)  that  ye  may  come 
holy  and  clean  to  such  a  heavenly  Feast,  in  the  marriage- 
garment  required  by  God  in  holy  Scripture,  and  be  received 
as  worthy  partakers  of  that  holy  Table. 

The  way  and  means  thereto  is  ;  First,  to  examine  your 
lives  and  conversations  by  the  rule  of  God's  command- 
ments ;  and  whereinsoever  ye  shall  perceive  yourselves  to 
have  offended,  either  by  will,  word,  or  deed,  there  to  bewail 
your  own  sinfulness,  and  to  confess  yourselves  to  Almighty 
God,  with  full  purpose  of  amendment  of  life.  And  if  ye 
shall  perceive  your  offences  to  be  such  as  are  not  only 
against  God,  but  also  against  your  neighbours  ;  then  ye 
shall  reconcile  yourselves  unto  them  ;  being  ready  to  make 
restitution  and  satisfaction,  according  to  the  uttermost  of 
your  powers,  for  all  injuries  and  wrongs  done  by  you  to  any 
other  ;  and  being  likewise  ready  to  forgive  others  who  have 
offended  you,  as  ye  would  have  forgiveness  of  your  offences 
at  God's  hand  :  for  otherwise  the  receiving  of  the  holy 
Communion  doth  nothing  else  but  increase  3'our  condemna- 
tion. Therefore,  if  any  of  you  be  a  blasphemer  of  God,  an 
hinderer  or  slanderer  of  his  Word,  an  adulterer,  or  be  in 
malice,  or  envy,  or  in  any  other  grievous  crime  ;  repent  ye 
of  your  sins,  or  else  come  not  to  that  holy  Table. 

And  because  it  is  requisite  that  no  man  should  come  to 
the  holy  Communion,  but  with  a  full  trust  in  God's  mercy, 
and  with  a  quiet  conscience  ;  therefore,  if  tliere  be  any  of 
you,  who  by  these  means  cannot  quiet  his  OAvn  conscience 
herein,  but  requireth  further  comfort  or  counsel,  let  him 
come  to  me,  or  to  some  other  Minister  of  God's  "Word,  and 


338     LORD'S  SUPPER,   OR  HOLY  COMMUNION. 

open  his  grief  ;  that  he  may  receive  such  godly  counsel  and 
advice,  as  may  tend  to  the  quieting  of  his  conscience,  and 
the  removing  of  all  scruple  and  doubtfulness. 

\  Or,  in  case  he  shall  see  the  People  negligent  to  come  to  the  Holy   Com- 
munion, instead  of  the  former,  he  shall  use  this  Exhortation. 

Deaklt  beloved  brethren,  on I  intend,  by  God's 

grace,  to  celebrate  the  Lord's  Supper  :  unto  which,  in  God's 
behalf,  I  bid  you  all  who  are  here  present ;  and  beseech 
you,  for  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ's  sake,  that  ye  will  not 
refuse  to  come  thereto,  being  so  lovingly  called  and  bidden 
by  God  himself.      Ye  know  how  grievous  and  unkind  a 
thing  it  is,  when  a  man  hath  prepared  a  rich  feast,  decked 
his  table  with  all  kind  of  provision,  so  that  there  lacketh 
nothing  but  the  guests  to  sit  down  ;  and  yet  they  who  are 
called  (without  any  cause)   most  unthankfully  refuse  to 
come.      Which  of  you  in  such  a  case  would  not  be  moved  ? 
Who  would  not  think  a  great  injury  and  wrong  done  unto 
him  ?    Wherefore,  most  dearly  beloved  in  Christ,  take  ye 
good  heed,  lest  ye,  withdrawing  yovirselves  from  this  holy 
Supper,  provoke  God's  indignation  against  you.     It  is  an 
easy  matter  for  a  man  to  say,  I  will  not  communicate, 
because  I  am  otherwise  hindered  with  worldly  business. 
But  such  excuses  are  not  so  easily  accepted  and  allowed 
before  God.      If  any  man  say,  I  am  a  grievous  sinner,  and 
therefore  am  afraid  to  come  :   wherefore  then  do  ye  not 
repent  and  amend  ?     When  God  calleth  you,  are  ye  not 
ashamed  to  say  ye  will  not  come  ?    When  ye  should  return 
to  God,  will  ye  excuse  yourselves,  and  say  ye  are  not  ready  ? 
Consider  earnestly  with  yourselves  how  Httle  such  feigned 
excuses  will  avail  before  God.     Those  who  refused  the  feast 
in  the  Gospel,  because  they  had  bought  a  farm,  or  would 
try  their  yokes  of  oxen,  or  because  they  were  married,  were 
not  so  excused,  but  counted  unworthy  of  the  heavenly  feast. 
Wherefore,  according  to  mine  Office,  I  bid  you  in  the  Name 
of  God,  I  call  you  in  Christ's  behalf,  I  exhort  you,  as  ye 


LORD'S  SUPPER,    OR  HOLY  COMMUmOF.     339 

love  your  own  salvation,  that  je  will  be  partakers  of  this 
holy  Communion.  And  as  the  Son  of  God  did  vouchsafe 
to  yield  up  his  soul  by  death  upon  the  cross  for  your  salva- 
tion ;  so  it  is  your  duty  to  receive  the  Communion  in 
remembrance  of  the  sacrifice  of  his  death,  as  he  himself 
hatli-commanded  :  which  if  ye  shall  neglect  to  do,  consider 
with  youi'selves  how  great  is  your  ingratitude  to  God,  and 
how  sore  punishment  hangeth  over  your  heads  for  the 
same  ;  when  ye  wilfully  abstain  from  the  Lord's  Table,  and 
separate  from  your  brethren  who  come  to  feed  on  the 
banquet  of  that  most  heavenly  food.  These  things  if  ye 
earnestly  consider,  ye  will  by  God's  grace  return  to  a  better 
mind  :  for  the  obtaining  whereof  we  shall  not  cease  to  make 
our  humble  petitions  unto  Almighty  God,  our  heavenly 
Father. 

^  At  the  time  of  the  Celebration  of  the  Communion,  the  Priest  shall  say  this 

Exhortation. 

Dearly  beloved  in  the  Lord,  ye  who  mind  to  come  to 
the  holy  Communion  of  the  Body  and  Blood  of  our  Saviour 
Christ,  must  consider  how  Saint  Paul  exhorteth  all  persons 
diligently  to  try  and  examine  themselves,  before  they  pre- 
sume to  eat  of  that  Bread,  and  drink  of  that  Cup.  For  as 
the  benefit  is  great,  if  with  a  true  penitent  heart  and  lively 
faith  we  receive  that  holy  Sacrament ;  so  is  the  danger 
great,  if  we  receive  the  same  unworthily.  Judge  therefore 
yourselves,  brethren,  that  ye  be  not  judged  of  the  Lord  ; 
repent  ye  truly  for  your  sins  past ;  have  a  lively  and  stead- 
fast faith  in  Christ  our  Saviour ;  amend  your  lives,  and  be 
in  perfect  charity  with  all  men ;  so  shall  ye  be  meet  par- 
takers of  those  holy  mysteries.  And  above  all  things  ye 
must  give  most  humble  and  hearty  thanks  to  God,  the 
Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  for  the  redemption 
of  the  world  by  the  death  and  passion  of  our  Saviour  Christ, 
both  God  and  man;  who  did  humble  himself,  even  to  the 
death  upon  the  Cross,  for  us,  miserable  sinners,  who  lay  in 


340     LORD'S  SUPPER,    OR  HOLY  COMMUNION. 

darkness  and  the  shadow  of  death  ;  that  he  might  make  us 
the  children  of  God,  and  exalt  us  to  everlasting  life.  And 
to  the  end  that  we  should  always  remember  the  exceeding 
great  love  of  our  Master,  and  only  Saviour,  Jesus  Christ, 
thus  dying  for  us,  and  the  innumerable  benefits  which  by 
his  precious  blood-shedding  he  hath  obtained  for  us;  he 
hath  instituted  and  ordained  holy  mysteries,  as  pledges  of 
his  love,  and  for  a  continual  remembrance  of  his  death,  to 
our  great  and  endless  comfort.  To  him  therefore,  with  the 
Father  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  let  us  give  (as  we  are  most 
bounden)  continual  thanks  ;  submitting  ourselves  wholly 
to  his  holy  will  and  pleasure,  and  studying  to  serve  him  in 
true  holiness  and  righteousness,  all  the  days  of  our  life. 
Amen. 

^  Then  shall  the  Priest  say  to  those  who  come  to  receive  the  Holy  Communion., 

Ye  who  do  truly  and  earnestly  repent  you  of  your  sins, 
and  are  in  love  and  charity  with  your  neighbours,  and  in- 
tend to  lead  a  new  life,  following  the  commandments  of 
God,  and  walking  from  henceforth  in  his  holy  ways  ;  Draw 
near  with  faith,  and  take  this  holy  Sacrament  to  your  com- 
fort ;  and  make  your  humble  confession  to  Almighty  God, 
devoutly  kneeling. 


THE   MINISTRATION   OF 


BAPTISM    TO    SUCH    AS    ARE    OF 
RIPER    YEARS, 

AND  ARE  ABLE  TO  ANSWER  FOR  THEMSEL"VT:S. 


Dearly  beloved,  forasmuch  as  all  men  are  conceired 
and  born  in  sin,  (and  that  which  is  born  of  the  flesh  is 
flesh,)  and  they  who  are  in  the  flesh  cannot  please  God,  but 
live  in  sin,  committing  many  actual  transgressions  ;  and 
our  Saviour  Christ  saith,  None  can  enter  into  the  kingdom 
of  God,  except  he  be  regenerate  and  born  anew  of  Water 
and  of  tiie  Holy  Ghost ;  I  beseech  you  to  call  upon  God  the 
Father,  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that  of  his  bounte- 
ous goodness  he  will  grant  to  these  Persons  that  which  by 
nature  they  cannot  have  ;  that  they  may  be  baptized  with 
Yv'ater  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  received  into  Christ's  holy 
Church,  and  be  made  lively  7nembers  of  the  same. 

•^  Then  shall  iJie  Minister  say. 

Let  US  pray. 

Almighty  and  everlasting  God,  who  of  thy  great  mercy 
didst  save  Noah  and  his  family  in  the  ark  from  j)erishing 
by  water  ;  and  also  didst  safely  lead  the  children  of  Israel 
thy  people  through  the  Red  Sea,  figuring  thereby  tliy  holy 
Baptism  ;  and  by  the  Baptism  of  thy  well-beloved  Son 
Jesus  Christ,  in  the  river  Jordan,  didst  sanctify  the  element 
of  Water  to  the  mystical  washing  away  of  sin  ;  Wc  beseech 


342  THE  MINISTRATION  OF  BAPTISM. 

thee,  for  thine  infinite  mercies,  that  thou  wilt  mercifully 
look  u]3on  these  thy  Servants  ;  wash  tTiem  and  sanctify  them 
with  the  Holy  Ghost ;  that  they,  being  delivered  from  thy 
wrath,  may  be  received  into  the  ark  of  Christ's  Church  ; 
and  being  steadfast  in  faith,  joyful  through  hope,  and 
rooted  in  charity,  may  so  pass  the  waves  of  this  troublesome 
world,  that  finally  they  may  come  to  the  land  of  everlasting 
life,  there  to  reign  with  thee,  world  without  end  ;  through 
Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.     Amen. 

%  Or  this. 

Almighty  and  immortal  God,  the  aid  of  all  who  need, 
the  helj^er  of  all  who  flee  to  thee  for  succour,  the  life  of 
those  who  believe,  and  the  resurrection  of  the  dead ;  We 
call  upon  thee  for  these  Persons,  that  they,  coming  to  thy 
holy  Baptism,  may  receive  remission  of  their  sins,  by  spirit- 
ual regeneration.  Eeceive  them,  0  Lord,  as  thou  hast 
promised  by  thy  well-beloved  Son,  saying.  Ask,  and  ye 
shall  receive ;  seek,  and  ye  shall  find  ;  knock,  and  it  shall 
be  opened  unto  you.  So  give  now  unto  us  who  ask  ;  let  us 
who  seek,  find ;  open  the  gate  unto  us  who  knock ;  that 
these  Persons  may  enjoy  the  everlasting  benediction  of  thy 
heavenly  washing,  and  may  come  to  the  eternal  kingdom 
which  thou  hast  promised  by  Christ  our  Lord.     Amen. 

\  Then  the  3finister  shall  say, 

Hear  the  words  of  the  Gospel,  written  by  St.  John,  in  the 
third  Chapter,  beginning  at  the  first  Verse. 

Theee  was  a  man  of  the  Pharisees,  named  Nicodemus, 
a  ruler  of  the  Jews.  The  same  came  to  Jesus  by  night, 
and  said  unto  him,  Eabbi,  we  know  that  thou  art  a  teacher 
come  from  God  ;  for  no  man  can  do  these  miracles  that 
thou  doest,  except  God  be  with  him.  Jesus  answered  and 
said  unto  him,  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  thee,  Except  a 
man  be  born  again,  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of  God. 
Nicodemus  saith  unto  him,  How  can  a  man  be  born  when 


TEE  MimSTRATION  OF  BAPTISM.  343 

he  is  old  ?  can  lie  enter  the  second  time  into  his  mother's 
womb,  and  be  born  ?  Jesus  answered,  Verily,  verily,  I  say 
unto  thee,  Except  a  man  be  born  of  water  and  of  the  Spirit, 
he  cannot  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God.  That  which  is 
born  of  the  flesh  is  flesh  ;  and  that  which  is  born  of  the 
Spirit  is  spirit.  Marvel  not  that  I  said  unto  thee.  Ye  must 
be  born  again.  The  wind  bloweth  where  it  listeth,  and 
thou  hearest  the  sound  thereof  ;  but  canst  not  tell  whence 
it  Cometh,  and  whither  it  goeth  ;  so  is  every  one  that  is 
born  of  the  Spirit. 

^  After  which  he  shall  say  this  Exhortation  following. 

Beloved,  ye  hear  in  this  Gospel  the  express  words  of 
our  Saviour  Christ,  that  except  a  man  be  born  of  Water  and 
of  the  Spirit,  he  cannot  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God. 
Whereby  ye  may  perceive  the  great  necessity  of  this  Sacra- 
ment, where  it  may  be  had.  Likewise,  immediately  before 
his  ascension  into  heaven,  (as  we  read  in  the  last  Chapter 
of  Saint  Mark's  Gospel,)  he  gave  command  to  his  disciples, 
saying.  Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the  Gospel  to 
every  creature.  He  that  believeth  and  is  baptized  shall  be 
saved  ;  but  he  that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned.  Which 
also  showeth  unto  us  the  great  benefit  we  reap  thereby. 
For  which  cause  Saint  Peter  the  Apos£le,  when  upon  his 
first  preaching  of  the  Gospel  many  were  pricked  at  the 
heart,  and  said  to  him  and  the  rest  of  the  Apostles,  Men 
and  brethren,  what  shall  we  do  ?  replied  and  said  unto 
them.  Repent,  and  be  baptized  every  one  of  you  for  the  re- 
mission of  sins,  and  ye  shall  receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.  For  the  promise  is  to  you  and  your  children,  and 
to  all  that  are  afar  off,  even  as  many  as  the  Lord  our  God 
shall  call.  And  with  many  other  words  exhorted  he  them, 
saying.  Save  yourselves  from  this  untoward  generation. 
For  (as  the  same  Apostle  testifieth  in  another  place)  even 
Baptism  doth  also  now  save  us,  (not  the  putting  away  of 
the  filth  of  the  flesh,  but  the  answer  of  a  good  conscience 


344  THE  MINISTRATION   OF  BAPTISM. 

towards  God,)  by  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ.  Doubt 
ye  not  therefore,  but  earnestly  believe,  that  he  will  favour- 
ably receive  these  present  Persons,  truly  repenting,  and 
coming  unto  him  by  faith  ;  that  he  will  grant  them  remis- 
sion of  their  sins,  and  bestow  uj^on  them  the  Holy  Ghost ; 
that  he  will  give  them  the  blessing  of  eternal  life,  and  make 
thein  partakers  of  his  everlasting  kingdom. 

Wherefore  we  being  thus  persuaded  of  the  good  will 
of  our  heavenly  Father  toward  these  Persotis,  declared  by 
his  Son  Jesus  Christ ;  let  us  faithfully  and  devoutly  give 
thanks  to  him,  and  say, 

Almighty  and  everlasting  God,  heavenly  Father,  we 
give  thee  humble  thanks,  for  that  thou  hast  vouchsafed  to 
call  us  to  the  knowledge  of  thy  grace,  and  faith  in  thee  : 
Increase  this  knowledge,  and  confirm  this  faith  in  us  ever- 
more. Give  thy  Holy  Spirit  to  these  Persons,  that  they 
may  be  born  again,  and  be  made  heirs  of  everlasting  salva- 
tion ;  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  liveth  and  reign- 
eth  with  thee  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  now  and  for  ever. 
Amen. 

'\  Then  the  Minister  shall  spsaJc  to  the  Persons  to  he  baptized  on  this  wise  : 

Well-beloved,  who  are  come  hither  desiring  to  receive 
holy  Baptism,  ye  have  heard  how  the  congregation  hath 
prayed,  that  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  would  vouchsafe  to  re- 
ceive and  bless  you,  to  release  you  of  your  sins,  to  give  you 
the  kingdom  of  heaven,  and  everlasting  life.  Ye  have 
heard  also,  that  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  hath  promised  in 
his  holy  Word  to  grant  all  those  things  that  we  have  prayed 
for  ;  which  promise  he,  for  his  part,  will  most  surely  keep 
and  perform. 

Wherefore,  after  this  promise  made  by  Christ,  ye  must 
also  faithfully,  for  your  part,  in  the  presence  of  these  your 
Witnesses,  and  this  whole  congregation,  promise  and  an- 
swer to  the  following  Questions. 


THE  MINISTRATI02i'  OF  BAPTISM.  345 

*[  TTie  Minister  shall  tJien.  demand  of  the  Persons  to  he  baptized  as  follows  ; 
the  Questions  being  considered  as  addressed  to  them  sevei'ally,  and  the  an- 
swers  to  be  made  accordingly. 

Question. 

Dost  tliou  renounce  the  devil  and  all  his  works,  the 
vain  pomp  and  glory  of  the  world,  with  all  covetous  desires 
of  the  same,  and  the  sinful  desires  of  the  flesh,  so  that  thou 
wilt  not  follow,  nor  be  led  by  them  ? 

Ansioer.  I  renounce  them  all ;  and,  by  God's  help,  will 
endeavour  not  to  follow,  nor  be  led  by  them. 

Question.  Dost  thou  believe  all  the  Articles  of  the 
Christian  Faith,  as  contained  in  the  Apostles'  Creed  ? 

Ansiver.  I  do. 

Question.  Wilt  thou  be  baptized  in  this  Faith  ? 

Ansioer.  That  is  my  desire. 

Question.  Wilt  thou  then  obediently  keep  God's  holy 
will  and  commandments,  and  walk  in  the  same  all  the  days 
of  thy  life  ? 

Ansiver.  I  will,  by  God's  help. 

^  Then  shall  the  Minister  say, 

0  MERCIFUL  God,  grant  that  the  old  Adam  in  these 
Persons  may  be  so  buried,  that  the  new  man  may  be  raised 
up  in  them.     Aynen. 

Grant  that  all  sinful  affections  may  die  in  them,  and 
that  all  things  belonging  to  the  Spirit  may  live  and  grow 
in  them.     Ameji. 

Grant  that  they  may  have  power  and  strength  to  have 
victory,  and  to  triumph  against  the  devil,  the  world,  and 
the  flesh.     Amen. 

Grant  that  they,  being  here  dedicated  to  thee  by  our 
office  and  ministry,  may  also  be  endued  with  heavenly  vir- 
tues, and  everlastingly  rewarded,  through  thy  mercy,  0 
blessed  Lord  God,  who  dost  live,  and  govern  all  things, 
world  without  end.     Amen. 


34:6  THE  MINISTRATION  OF  BAPTISM. 

Almighty,  everliving  God,  whose  most  dearly  beloved 
Son  Jesus  Christ,  for  the  forgiveness  of  our  sins,  did  shed 
out  of  his  most  precious  side  both  water  and  blood  ;  and 
gave  commandment  to  his  disciples,  that  they  should  go 
teach  all  nations,  and  baptize  them  In  the  Name  of  the 
Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  Eegard, 
we  beseech  thee,  the  supplications  of  thy  congregation  ; 
sanctify  this  Water  to  the  mystical  washing  away  of  sin ; 
and  grant  that  the  Persons  now  to  be  baptized  therein, 
may  receive  the  fulness  of  thy  grace,  aud  ever  remain  in 
the  number  of  thy  faithful  children  ;  through  Jesus  Christ 
our  Lord.     Amen. 

^  Then  shall  the  Minister  take  each  Person  to  he  baptized  by  the  right  hand ; 
and  placinrj  him  conveniently  by  the  Font,  according  to  his  discretion,  shall 
ask  the  Godfathers  and  Godmothers  the  Name ;  and  then  shall  dip  him 
in  the  loater,  or  pour  water  upon  him,  saying, 

!N".  I  BAPTIZE  thee  In  the  Name  of  the  Father,  and  of 
the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost.     Amen. 

^  Then  shall  the  Minister  say. 

We  receive  this  Person  into  the  congregatiou  of  Christ's 
flock ;  and  do  *  sign  him  with  the  sign  of 
*  -^^'•'^  i^'^  ^^"»-  the  Cross,  in  token  that  hereafter  he  shall 
'cZssTLmfper    ^""^  ^®   ashamed  to  confess  the   faith  of 
son^s  forlcad.    "''  Christ  crucified,  and  manfully  to  fight  un- 
der his  banner,  against  sin,  the  world,  and 
the  devil ;   and  to  continue  Christ's  faithful  soldier  and 
servant  unto  his  life's  end.     Amen. 

T[  The  same  Pule,  as  to  the  Omission  of  the  sign  of  tJie  Cross,  is  to  he 
observed  here  as  in  the  Baptism  of  Infants. 

"^  Then  shall  the  Minister  say. 

Seeing  now,  dearly  beloved  brethren,  that  these  Persons 
are  regenerate,  and  grafted  into  the  body  of  Christ's  Church, 
let  us  give  thanks  unto  Almighty  God  for  these  benefits  ; 
and  with  one  accord  make  our  prayers  unto  him,  that  they 
may  lead  the  rest  of  their  life  according  to  this  beginning. 


TEE  MIXISTRATIOX  OF  BAPTISM.  347 

^  21un  shall  be  said  the  Lord's  Prayer,  all  kneeling. 

Our  Father,  who  art  in  heaven,  Hallowed  be  thy  ISTame. 
Thy  kingdom  come.  Tliy  will  be  done  on  earth.  As  it  is 
in  heaven.  Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread  ;  And  forgive 
us  our  trespasses,  As  we  forgive  those  that  tresj^ass  against 
us.  And  lead  us  not  into  temptation  ;  But  deliver  us  from 
evil.     Amen. 

"We  yield  thee  humble  thanks,  0  heavenly  Father,  that 
thou  hast  vouchsafed  to  call  us  to  the  knowledge  of  thy 
grace,  and  faith  in  thee  :  Increase  this  knowledge,  and  con- 
firm this  faith  in  us  evermore.  Give  thy  Holy  Spirit  to 
these  Persons  ;  that,  being  now  born  again,  and  made  heirs 
of  everlasting  salvation,  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
thei/  may  continue  thy  Servants,  and  attain  thy  promises  ; 
through  the  same  Lord  Jesus  Christ  thy  Son,  who  liveth 
and  reigneth  with  thee,  in  the  unity  of  the  same  Holy 
Spirit,  everlastingly.     Amen. 

^  T/ien,  all  standing  up,  the  Mmistcr  shall  use  this  Exhortation  following  ; 
speaking  to  the  Godfathers  and  Godmothers  first. 

Forasmuch  as  these  Persons  have  promised,  in  your 
presence,  to  renounce  the  devil  and  all  his  works,  to  believe 
in  God,  and  to  serve  him  ;  ye  must  remember,  that  it  is 
your  part  and  duty  to  put  them  in  mind,  what  a  solemn 
vow,  promise,  and  profession  they  have  now  made  before  this 
congregation,  and  especially  before  you  their  clioscn  wit- 
nesses. And  ye  are  also  to  call  upon  them  to  use  all  dili- 
gence to  be  rightly  instructed  in  God's  holy  Word  ;  that  so 
they  may  grow  in  grace,  and  in  the  kuoAvledge  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  and  live  godly,  righteously,  and  soberly,  in 
this  present  world. 

T[  And  then,  speaking  to  the  baptized  Persons,  he  shall  proceed  and  say. 

And  as  for  you,  who  have  now  by  Baptism  put  on 
Christ,  it  is  your  part  and  duty  also,  being  made  the  chil- 
dren of  God  and  of  the  light,  by  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  to 


348  THE  MINISTRATION  OF  BAPTISM. 

walk  answerably  to  your  Christian  calling,  and  as  becometh 
the  children  of  light ;  remembering  always  that  Baptism 
representeth  unto  us  our  profession ;  which  is,  to  follow 
the  example  of  our  Saviour  Christ,  and  to  be  made  like 
unto  him  ;  that  as  he  died,  and  rose  again  for  us,  so  should 
we,  who  are  baptized,  die  from  sin,  and  rise  again  unto 
righteousness  ;  continually  mortifying  all  our  evil  and  cor- 
rupt affections,  and  daily  proceeding  in  all  virtue  and  god- 
liness of  living. 


THE  END. 


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